Ten Health Benefits of Coffee

Source: from Forbes magazine as published in Yahoo Weekend Business. 15 October 2005

Here are the benefits:

1. Helps In Relieving Bronchial Asthma Symptoms: It's believed that a couple cups of coffee may help open airways for those with asthma. Though it should never be used to replace traditional asthma medicine, the caffeine in coffee is similar to a medicine called theophylline, which is used to treat asthma symptoms.


2. Helps to Reduce Jet-Lag On Long Flights: Coffee is known to increase concentration and short-term memory, so it can also help the brain function better while on long flights. Coffee's ability to make a person more alert will also help adjust a person's internal clock in a new time zone.


3. Improves Short-Term Memory: Caffeine's target region in the brain is the prefrontal cortex--the area associated with short-term memory. In this area, the brain compares current experiences with experiences stored in long-term memory--a pattern linked to creative thinking. Coffee is believed to be a cognitive enhancer and an aid in concentration, especially on intellectual tasks.


4. Keeps You Alert: The most common reason people drink coffee (other than for pleasure) is to stay alert--especially in the morning. Research shows that coffee works best if spread throughout the course of the day. For instance, instead of drinking two cups at once, have one cup in the morning and another an hour or two later.


5. Mild Anti-Obesity Activity and Enhance Endurance During Exercise: Studies show that the caffeine in coffee improves performance and endurance during intense physical exercise. Caffeine is also shown to boost short-term athletic performance and to help enhance concentration through it's effect on brain receptors. It's also known to slightly increase metabolism, which can help people lose weight.


6. Prevents Degeneraitve Diseases Like Parkinson's: Studies link coffee drinking and the prevention of degenerative diseases. Research shows that the more coffee a person drinks, the lower their risk is of developing Parkinson's disease. Studies show those who drink coffee on a daily basis may also be 60% to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's.


7. Prevents the Formation of Gallbladder Stones: Doctors at the Harvard School of Public Health discovered that men who drink four or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day have a lower risk of developing gallbladder stones. Over the course of a decade, the study followed more than 45,000 men who had not had gallbladder stone problems. The reason for this preventative effect is still unknown.


8. Protects From Certain Cancers Such As Colon Cancer and Hepatic Cancer: An antioxidant in coffee called methylpyridinium has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of colorectal and other cancers. The compound, which is formed during the roasting process of coffee beans, is found almost exclusively in coffee and is said to boost blood enzymes.


9. Reduces The Risk of Cirrhosis: Drinking four cups of coffee per day may reduce the risk of liver cirrhosis by approximately 30%. Studies show that coffee not only has detoxifying properties that cleanse the liver, but the antioxidants found in coffee also work as free-radical scavengers to ward off disease and illness. A research team at the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases analyzed data from a nutrition survey of 16,000 people. The results showed that those who drank caffeinated beverages exhibited lower incidences of liver injury--though it is unknown exactly how caffeine benefits liver function. Another study by researchers at the National Cancer Center in Tokyo found that coffee drinkers were half as likely as nondrinkers to develop liver cancer.


10. Reduces The Risk of Developing Diabetes: Many studies have confirmed that coffee has properties that prevent Type II diabetes. A study conducted at the Harvard University School of Public Health found that drinking coffee can cut the risk of developing Type II diabetes by 50% in men and by 30% in women. A Finnish study found that women who drank three to four cups of coffee per day reduced their risk of diabetes by 29%, while men who drank them same amount reduced their risk by 27%.

You'll have to excuse me now, I'm going to go produce some methylpyridinium.

The Straight Poop on Kopi Luwak Coffee

Source: lifeaftercoffee- Friday September, 2005

All about this infamous coffee and the cat-like creature that makes it possible.

Years ago I heard a rumor of a rare coffee that was collected from the droppings of a wild animal. For quite a while, having nothing to substantiate this I had dismissed this as either an urban legend, or something so rare I was unlikely to ever have access to it.

Well thanks to the coffee explosion this rare and unusual blend is readily available, though still very expensive. My interest in this was rekindled when I noticed Armeno Coffee Roasters, my favorite source for fine coffee is now carrying Kopi Luwak Coffee.

So what exactly is it? The Indonesian word “kopi” translates directly to coffee. The word Luwak refers to a small wild animal native to Indonesia and Vietnam.

So you know what coffee is… what’s this luwak critter? Known as the luwak, luak, musang, toddy cat, civet, palm civet and civet-cat, many people believe it is a wild cat. While it is a mammal it is actually a cousin of the mongoose. Probably it’s closest North American counterpart is the skunk with which it shares the ability to excrete a noxious odor from scent glands near it’s anus. Blueplanetbiomes.com has some wonderful information on this animal.

The animal can range from four to eleven pounds and is largely nocturnal. While it is an omnivore, the luwak is particularly fond of perfectly ripe coffee cherries. Thanks to coffee farmers, the luwak has no troubles finding plenty of coffee.

Once eaten, the coffee cherries take the normal route through the animal’s digestive path. The amazing thing is while the fruit of the coffee is being digested, the bean is left largely unchanged, eventually passing in the animals droppings.

The droppings and their caffeine-laden content are collected by farmers. The coffee is then cleaned and the green, un-roasted bean shipped to roasters.

Why would you want to drink this shitty coffee? There are a lot of theories on why kopi luwak is different. Research has determined that coffee passed by a luwak has been changed chemically. Specifically the process seems to break down some of the bean’s proteins which are known to contribute to the bitterness of coffee.

So research from the University of Guelph in Canada, reported here, and further detailed in this article confirms the coffee’s chemical makeup is altered by it’s special little journey, I think it also important to consider the luwak’s own affinity for fine coffee.

When coffee, like other fruit, is harvested, not all the fruit will be perfectly ripe. Since the majority is ripe and it is to be combined for use, the end product comes out well; however, if you have an animal which naturally selecting only the ripest fruit you will end up with a product of unparalleled quality.

Is it safe? While many are understandably skeptical of eating anything that has already been through the gastro-intestinal track of another, research shows that due to the thorough washing, the luwak coffee may even have a lower bacteria level than other coffees. Certainly whatever the washing process misses the roasting process will make up for.

While I cannot say I have tried this rarest of all coffees, it is on my to-do list. Thankfully Armeno Coffee Roasters offers it in a four ounce sampler for a mere $30. Expect a detailed report here once the taste test is in.