Showing posts with label studies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label studies. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Coffee Cut

Jackie Chan meant it when he said, “Coffee is a language in itself”. Since the 16th century, coffee continues to be a part of people’s lives. It is some people’s “Good morning!” Coffee is some people’s “It’s time to relax.” Coffee is some people’s “I miss you!” Coffee is some people’s “Everything will be alright.” Each cup of coffee conveys a message that some people fail to say directly. However, its warmth, its bittersweet taste, its seductive aroma, and its rich flavor are enough. It feels like a friend’s warm hug, a mother’s touch, and a lover’s kiss.

Nowadays people can get coffee anytime they want to. At the press of a button, one can get their cup of freshly brewed coffee. According to the National Coffee Association of USA, 83% of all Americans drink coffee. This explains the sudden increase in number of different Coffee shops not only in America but all over the world.

In the Beginning: Brief History of Coffee

Coffee drinkers are forever indebted to goats. People may think that goats are only good for milk and meat but a special herd of goats actually paved the way to the discovery of coffee in the 6th century. It happened one day when Kaldi, a goat herder was watching over this particular herd, he noticed that the goats became restless. He figured out that it was because of the unidentified berries and leaves that the goats ate. He tried the berries himself and was pleasantly surprised by its invigorating effect. The monks who witnessed how Kaldi danced with the goats tried to figure out the best preparation for these berries and coffee, as people know it now, was born.

Why Drink Coffee?

No one can deny the charm of coffee’s taste and aroma. However, aside from satisfying a person’s sense of smell and taste, it has a lot of other benefits.

  •  Drink coffee for long life. Studies conducted in 2008 and 2009 prove that coffee drinkers who suffer from different chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease had longer lives that those who do not drink coffee. In addition, those who drink four cups of coffee a day or more even had longer lives than those who drink less. Three more studies show that people who drink up to three cups a day have 10% lower death rate while those who drink more than three cups have 12% lower death rate.
  •  Drink coffee to boost energy. Charge up with caffeine which is the most popular psychoactive substance that people around the world love to consume. Right after drinking, this energy booster flows with the person’s blood and goes to his or her brain.
  • Drink coffee to boost mind functions. Once in the brain, caffeine blocks the Adenosine which causes hyperactive firing of neurons resulting to memory enhancement, lighter mood, alertness, more energy, and more efficient thinking process. 
  • Drink coffee for healthier reproductive system. While prostate cancer and ovarian cancer as the most frequent gender-exclusive causes of death, a lot of people would try anything to prevent such illnesses. Fortunately, there is no need for expensive supplements and treatments as coffee is the answer to this quest. A study conducted in 2011 shows that male coffee drinkers who drink at least six cups of coffee a day have 20% lower rate of having prostate cancer. On the other hand, women who drink at least four cups a day have 25% lower chance of having ovarian cancer.
  • Drink coffee to prevent cancer. Studies prove that coffee drinkers have lower chance of having different kinds of cancer such as lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, and colon cancer. The coffee is able to provide protection against cancer because of its chlorogenic and caffeic contents.
  • Drink coffee to get rid of fat. Different fat burning products have one thing in common – caffeine. This is because caffeine is an effective fat burner. Numerous studies prove that caffeine raises a person’s metabolism rate by at least 3%. In addition, it increases the rate of fat burning to at least 10% for obese people and at least 29% for others. These are observable on new coffee drinkers.

What’s the Difference? Brewed Coffee VS Instant Coffee

Some people may not recognize the difference between a cup of brewed coffee and a cup of instant coffee. However, for avid coffee drinkers, there are a lot of differences between the two. More coffee drinkers prefer freshly brewed coffee over instant coffee.
  • Cost. Instant coffee is definitely more affordable than brewed coffee. It may be bought in bottles, in cans, or sachets. From its name, “instant coffee”, this powder is just added to hot water, sugar and creamer may also be added, stirred, and drank. On the other hand, brewed coffee will require a coffeemaker. However, brewed coffee drinkers swear that it is definitely worth the price difference. 
  • Content. Acrylamide was discovered in 2002. It is a toxic compound measured in PPB or parts-per-billion. Apparently, instant coffee has more PPBs of Acrylamide compared to brewed coffee. As an example, Nescafe has 471 PPB while Classic Roast has 13 PPB only.
  • Detoxification. Coffee is popular for its antioxidant contents. However, it turns out to be the result of the roasting process. Therefore, instant coffee has a lot less antioxidants than brewed coffee.
  • Caffeine. While people turn to coffee to stay awake and alert, instant coffee cannot give them what they need. If an instant energy and mood booster is needed, this need can only be fulfilled by brewed coffee. As an example, 8 oz. of instant coffee has a maximum of 173 mg caffeine while brewed coffee of the same amount can have a maximum of 200 mg caffeine.