Drinking A Cup of Coffee Everyday

Worried about how much coffee intake you have everyday?!? Here's the good news - new scientific research shows the potential health benefits a cup of coffee can do to you - whether it's caffeinated or decaf.

Drinking coffees have been know to be antioxidants, providing protection against certain types of diabetes and cancer. It is even said to hold the secret in curing male baldness, among others.

Recently, the evidence linking coffee drinking and the protection against diabetic diseases seems to be getting more substantial, as scientists investigate the beverage's effect. Based from the study of some Harvard University scientists, over a period of 10 years - more than 88,000 women, aged 26 to 46 years old, found that drinking coffees daily were connected to a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

But don't start gulping coffee as a liquid health food. As the old cliche goes, anything taken in excessive would dangerous to your health. After all, moderation is still the best strategy. For many people, drinking too much coffee may cause indigestion. Contrary to popular belief, it's not just the caffeine, some coffee beans can yield higher level of acids, which can be an irritant to our stomach.

Another research in California shows that among more than 125,000 people studied for up to 22 years, coffee drinkers were less likely to be diagnosed with alcoholic cirrhosis. Additionally, coffee seems to offer protection against Parkinson's disease, although more for men than for women.

Interestingly, "coffee was once labelled as a culprit in raising artery-clogging LDL cholesterol levels. But researchers found that only unfiltered or boiled coffee, or that made using a French press, contained cafestol and kahweol, the compounds with the cholesterol-raising effects. In heart health research, sipping excess coffee has been linked to high blood pressure, but we'll see more research there," as published in Homemakers.com

A Friendlier Cup of Coffee

Freshly brewed research reports about coffee are changing the image of the popular drink from harmful to healthy in many ways.

Thanks to some of the latest knowledge about coffee reported in April at the Experimental Biology 2007 symposium in Washington, D.C., negative myths about coffee are evaporating.
"The good news is it seems an extremely popular beverage can be safely consumed by most people in moderation," said Joan Salge Blake, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and nutrition professor at Boston University.

"It doesn't look like there is any downside to coffee in any disease process," said Dr. Craig McClain, professor of medicine, pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Louisville, who attended the spring meeting.

The story about coffee grew dark and negative a decade or more ago when a study linked pancreatic cancer to caffeine, a link that has since been debunked, McClain explained.

"That got everybody down on coffee, but more recently in diverse areas research is suggesting that coffee -- at least in moderate consumption -- can be beneficial," he said.

Studies of large populations of real coffee drinkers are pointing in a positive direction.

New research suggests coffee can reduce the risk of such major diseases as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and type 2 diabetes.

"Animal studies suggest it might even be good for weight control through thermogenesis (the process by which the body generates heat, or energy, by increasing the metabolic rate above normal)," McClain said. "Drink six cups of coffee a day and you may have an energy expenditure of 100 calories."

In studies of mortality, it appears that moderate coffee drinkers have a slightly reduced risk of death, McClain also reported.

Good for the liver

One promising thread of coffee research indicates coffee may lower bad liver enzymes called cytokines. "Coffee looks like it may be good in those with liver disease and certainly not harmful," he said. The mechanism for how this works isn't understood yet, he added.

Everybody thinks about caffeine, an alkaloid that acts as a mild stimulant, when they think of coffee, partly because old coffee research emphasized it. Much of the current research is saying the possible benefits of moderate coffee consumption have little or nothing to do with its caffeine content.

Coffee, after all, contains antioxidants and phytochemicals. It is made up of hundreds of components such as magnesium, potassium, vitamin B3, amino acids and lignans, a weak form of estrogen found in fruits, cereals, flaxseed and vegetables.

Experts caution that moderate coffee drinking is what people should keep in mind.

Moderate consumption means two to three eight-ounce cups a day to Marsha Hilgeford, a Louisville dietitian and diabetes counselor at Baptist Hospital. McClain would say two to four cups daily constitutes moderation.

Hilgeford recommends drinking filtered coffee because some research has shown that unfiltered coffee, such as that made in a French plunger-style coffee maker, can boost cholesterol levels. What gets through in unfiltered coffee are diterpenes, found in the oil droplets floating in the coffee as well as in the sediment.

Athletic endurance

Some endurance athletes have long ranked coffee important to their performance. Last April, the Journal of Sports Science published a study that found caffeine had a positive impact on the performance of male distance runners. In November, the same journal printed another study that examined whether cyclists could improve their sprinting with caffeine and found they did.

But a third study published last year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that two cups of coffee reduced blood flow to the heart during exercise by 22 percent and by 39 percent if the exercise was done in a high altitude chamber used to simulate the way coronary artery disease would limit the amount of oxygen that gets to the heart.

Those with coronary heart disease or heart health risk should talk to their doctors about how much coffee to drink before exercise.

Experts certainly don't advocate taking up coffee drinking if you don't drink it now or loading up on more coffee based on the good-benefits research that is emerging.

Hilgeford, while not down on coffee as a beverage, doesn't think it should be viewed as some magic elixir either. She strongly believes everyone is an individual when it comes to coffee and that they should test their reaction to it.

If they experience anxiety, jitters or insomnia, they should reconsider coffee consumption. And if they have other concerns about their use of coffee, by all means, they should talk to their doctor, experts said.

Courtesy Linda Stahl, The Courier-Journal and GJ Coffee Companion

Close the Calcium Gap with Your Next Cup O'Joe!

The growing popularity of coffeehouses may be helping to close the calcium gap in this country. Two out of three Americans fail to get enough calcium, which remains one of the nutrients most likely to be lacking in our diets - particularly among women, according to according to a study sponsored by the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., funded by the nation's milk processors.

Although some women say they no longer drink milk, they're getting more milk than they realize when they make a stop at their favorite corner coffeehouse. Many of today's most popular coffee drinks supply more than a full serving of milk, which is 1 cup or 8 ounces. For example, a Grande Caffe Latte (16 fl oz) provides 415 milligrams of calcium or 40% of the daily value for calcium. Order a Venti (20 fl oz) and the calcium soars to 50% - supplying half of the 1,000 milligrams of calcium recommended each day.

Women are more likely than men to skimp on milk, according to a new analysis of U.S. beverage patterns called What America Drinks, according to a study conducted by ENVIRON International Corporation.

This nationwide look at our intake of liquids found that women consume, on average, only about 6 ounces of milk a day - far short of the 24 ounces (or 3 servings) of milk that's recommended each day. For women who rarely drink a glass of milk with their meals, nutrition experts say milk-based coffee drinks like lattes can be an easy way to correct calcium shortfalls.

"Skim or nonfat lattes are not only a guilt-free treat that women can feel good about, but they're an eye-opening nutrition ally," says registered dietitian Carolyn O'Neil, author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous! "Most women are completely surprised to learn what a powerful nutrient punch is in each cup, but it makes sense when you consider that you're getting more milk than espresso when you order a latte."

A 16-ounce skim latte is not only an excellent source of calcium, but provides an array of other nutrients, including 25% daily value of protein and 35% daily value of vitamin D -- which partners with calcium to keep bones strong. Each 16-ounce serving is also a good source of other nutrients that are often lacking in women's diets, such as potassium, magnesium and vitamin A.

While most coffeehouses offer a variety of milk, O'Neil suggests ordering your latte with skim or nonfat milk to shave off calories and to eliminate fat. Many coffeehouses also offer sugar-free syrups that can add flavor without any additional calories. You also can ask the barista to "hold the whip" to control calories.

In the summer, O'Neil recommends cooling off with an iced latte, which she says is an ideal nutrient-packed substitute for soft drinks. An iced Grande Caffe Latte made with skim milk contains only 90 calories and provides 290 milligrams of calcium or 30% of the daily value.

The same size soda contains 200 calories and comes up empty on calcium and other nutrients.

Trading in your soft drink for an iced skim latte may not just boost your calcium - it may actually help you ward off extra pounds. According to the What America Drinks report, women who drank more soft drinks and little milk tended to weigh more than their peers who opted for more milk and fewer soft drinks. Among women, soft drinks provided more calories to the diet than any other single beverage.

The What American Drinks report also found that about 40% of Americans drank coffee, making it the third most commonly consumed beverage in this country. Yet only about 6% of adults said they drank coffee beverages made with milk. O'Neil suggested these coffee drinkers make a simple switch.

"If you'd just swap out your regular cup of joe for a skim latte, then you'll get much closer to getting the calcium you need each day," she advised. "If you have a large skim latte in the morning and perhaps a decaf one in the afternoon, then you may even reach your daily calcium goal."


Courtesy MILK PEP, Washington, D.C., GloriaJeans.com

Coffee May Prevent Skin Cancers

United States scientists have said the combination of daily exercise and a cup of coffee may prevent skin cancers.

Past researches have shown that moderate consumption of coffee may offer some health benefits.

Coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood and even prevent cavities, the studies had found.

A new study by scientists at Rutgers University in New Jersey shows that a low to moderate intake of caffeine combined with exercise can be good for health and prevent skin damage caused by the sun's ultraviolet rays.

They arrived at this conclusion after conducting a study on mice, reported health portal News Medical.

For the study, the researchers used groups of hairless mice, whose skin is extremely vulnerable to the sun.

One group was given caffeinated water to drink, the equivalent of up to two cups of coffee for humans, another group voluntarily exercised on a running wheel, a third group both drank caffeine and ran, while a fourth group neither ran nor drank caffeine and acted as the control group.

All the mice were then exposed to lamps that generated ultraviolet radiation that damages the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in their skin cells.

They were then examined for evidence of programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis, which is the process by which cells with badly damaged DNA destroy themselves as a natural defence against illness and infection.

The scientists found that compared to the ultraviolet radiation exposed control group, the caffeine drinkers showed an increase of about 95 percent in ultraviolet radiation induced apoptosis, the exercisers showed a 120 percent increase, while the mice that were both drinking and exercising showed a nearly 400 percent increase.

One of the study's authors Allan Conney said if apoptosis takes place in a sun-damaged cell, its progress towards cancer will be aborted.

The team who reported their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said drugs that induce apoptosis are currently being researched as a method of preventing different types of cancer but the combination of caffeine and exercise appears to have a similar protective.


Courtesy www.eians.com; Coffee Companion

Coffee Could Hold the Secret to Curing Male Baldness

For all those men who would do anything to stop their hairlines from receding, it might just be time to give hair weaving, toupees and wigs the boot, for a new research has found that coffee could hold the key for making their woe disappear.

The study, carried out by a team of researchers led by Dr Tobias Fischer at the University of Jena in Germany, found that caffeine stimulates the growth tiny follicles, the tiny sacs in the scalp from which hair grows, in men who are starting to lose their hair.

The researchers noted that caffeine helps slow baldness in men by blocking the effects of a chemical known to damage hair follicles.

However, before you reach for that cup of coffee, you have to know that researchers estimate that up to 60 cups a day would be the amount needed for significant amounts to reach follicles in the scalp.

Researchers are nonetheless, optimistic that caffeine can be a "promising candidate for hair growth stimulation".

"Caffeine is a well-known substance, yet little is known about its effect on human hair follicle growth. But this study shows it's a promising candidate for hair growth stimulation," the Daily Mail quoted him, as saying.

Now, German cosmetics firm Alpecin has developed a caffeine-rich solution that can be rubbed on the scalp.

Most baldness is caused when hair follicles become exposed to too much dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, a chemical produced by the male hormone testosterone.

Based on this, experts believe that men with high levels of testosterone are more likely to lose their hair.

As a part of the study, Dr Fischer took scalp biopsies from 14 men in the early stages of hair loss.

He then extracted hair follicles and placed them in test tubes with solutions containing different levels of caffeine. The samples were then monitored for a period of eight days.

The researchers found that caffeine had boosted the length of the hairs by between 33 per cent and 40 per cent.

"Hair follicles that were treated with caffeine showed a highly significant growth rate at 24 hours, and still showed further significant growth at eight days," said Dr Fischer.

Courtesy International Journal of Dermatology

Coffee for Pain Killers?

Back pains? Ouch!

With all the medicines now on the market for aches and pains, a new study says all you need may be a cup of coffee.

Since a lot of people are taking up new exercise programs, more and more are experiencing soreness in muscles they didn't even know they had. And when that happens, people usually resort to stretching, icing and popping some ibuprofen.

But recently,some doctors found out that people who have a cup of coffee every couple of hours before a workout were able to cut their muscle soreness by half.

In fact, for almost everyone, the coffee worked better than the stretching or ibuprofen.

Doctors aren't really sure how the coffee helps but think the caffeine causes pain fibers to be less sensitive, and might help neutralize the chemicals that causes inflammation and muscle soreness.

So, if you're not a big coffee drinker, this might be a help for you. If you already are a person who likes their coffee, you might check it out to see if it helps.

Can't Cure Common Cold, But Coffee Benefits Perk

Moderate consumption of coffee, an all-world beverage, if ever there was one, is being shown to have generally positive and protective effects on the emergence of disease conditions according to this month's issue of Food Technology magazine.

In its regular Food, Medicine & Health column, Food Technology reports that recent studies of coffee in combination with reviews of research gathered over the past 30 years reveal that consumption improves glucose regulation and lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, among other favorable effects.

"Many negative health myths about coffee drinking may now be transformed into validated health benefits," says the column's co-author, Roger A. Clemens, a functional food expert with the Institute of Food Technologists and nutritional biochemist.

"Scientific evidence now suggests that moderate coffee consumption 3 to 5 cups a day may be associated with reduced risks of certain disease conditions," he says, such as Alzheimer's disease, kidney stones, depression, and others."

Another area of coffee's positive affect on the body is its possible cancer-protective properties, possibly due to its naturally occurring and brewing-produced antioxidants.

Some research strongly links coffee's properties to protect blood vessels from dilating as one possible mechanism that brain cells use to defend against Parkinson's disease. One cup of coffee a day may as much as halve the risk of developing this disease, the article states.


by Courtesy Food Technology magazine

Making Iced Coffee

Did you ever notice that the iced coffee you make at home just doesn’t taste as good as what you get at a coffeehouse?

The secret is using a coffee concentrate or “coffee toddy" that is created by cold brewing your coffee.

There are two main reasons that iced coffee from cold brew concentrate tastes better and richer than when you simply pour brewed coffee over ice.

First, brewed coffee over ice tastes weaker because it gets watery as the ice in your beverage melts. This issue can be overcome by brewing extra strength coffee – in other words, make your brew at least one and a half times stronger than usual. However, if you also want a smoother, less bitter beverage, cold water brewing actually eliminates some oils and acids found in hot brewed coffee that are not soluble at lower temperatures, so that cold brewed coffee tastes smoother and is also easier on the stomach.

Of Coffees and Eyes

New research shows that drinking coffee can protect people from developing spasms in their eyelids, a condition known as blepharospasm.

Scientists at the University of Bari in Italy have been studying the link between drinking one or two cups of coffee a day and the frequency of eyelid twitches in sufferers of the condition, which in extreme cases can cause blindness.

They found that coffee reduced the risk of the condition and had a protective effect against involuntary and sustained muscle contractions in the eye.

"Sometimes the condition is so bad that the patients spend most of the time with their eyes closed - they are effectively then visually impaired," said Professor Giovanni Defazio, who led the study.

"Our findings strongly suggest coffee as a protective factor. The most obvious candidate for the protective effect is caffeine," he added.

Blepharospasm typically affects those aged between 50 and 70 and develops slowly, beginning with symptoms such as eye discomfort and increased blinking.


Courtesy: allaboutyou.com

Science & Art in Making that Perfect Cup of Coffee

There is much to be said about the perfect cup of coffee, and yet so much is clouded by old wives’ tales and misinformation. What counts is simple math and physics, and as long as you understand the chemistry of coffee you can produce a perfect cup every time.


Grind

The finer you grind the coffee beans, the more character you will get from each bean. In other words, more flavor can be extracted from the same amount of beans if they are ground finer. But it’s the type of coffee making equipment you own that will determine what grind you can get away with.

The reason is due to the flavor compounds present in a coffee bean. “Good” flavors are extracted early in the brewing process, while “bad” flavors come out later. Allowing the grounds to come in contact with too much water will lead to over-extraction and a nasty tasting brew. Your equipment will determine how much water comes into contact with your grounds and for how long.

An espresso machine, on the fine end of the scale, is designed to force a small amount of water through very tightly packed and finely ground coffee. The idea is to get a concentrate of only the best tasting flavors. Therefore, it is critical to have an even grind.


Contaminants

Your cup of brew can have anything from chlorine, minerals, salts, heavy metals, and even traces of diesel in it. Ninety-nine percent of these are the fault of your water source.

Use a charcoal filter to clean the water you use to brew with. These come in models that attach to your faucet or can be installed over the intake valve of your coffee maker. Make sure you replace the filter according to the maker’s guidelines or when you can taste a drop in the quality of your water. It would help to purchase a small bottle of filtered water to use as your base of comparison.


If you use a drip coffee maker, use unbleached paper filters or permanent gold wire mesh filters. For the later, be sure to rinse them well in fresh water.


Quantities

One level tablespoon of coffee per cup is the standard and works well regardless of your coffee maker. We do not recommend making batches any larger than 10 cups at a time, since the higher volume of water will cause over-extraction.

Some drip coffee makers come with a dial on top of the unit that allows a portion of the hot water to go directly into the pot without passing through the grounds first. These dials allow less water to pass through the coffee, avoiding over-extraction and producing a stronger brew. It is diluted back to normal strength by the water that bypasses the coffee grounds.


Age

Coffee releases six times its volume in carbon dioxide within the first 48 hours of roasting.Green coffee is almost impervious to aging and can be stored in your cellar for years. But once it’s roasted, the flavor degrades immediately and gets worse over time. If you really like the taste of coffee, know that it all comes from the skill of the roaster.

Keep a mill-type grinder next to your coffee machine and grind only enough coffee for the pot you’re about to make.

Never ever use the “community grinders” present in the coffee aisles of supermarkets. Who knows what has been put through them or when they were last cleaned.

Once the coffee is brewed, switch off the heating element and serve the beverage immediately. If you find that you are brewing more than you can drink at once, consider either making smaller batches or storing the remainder in a thermal flask. Do not microwave cold coffee and do not switch the heating element back on.

The perfect cup of coffee takes practice and knowledge. DRINK UP!



by Courtesy Ray Hout, clarkesvilleonline,TN; Coffee Companion Newsletter

Coffee as Source of Soluble Fiber

Coffee is a surprising source of soluble dietary fiber, but a U.S. newsletter advises it's not the only one.

Soluble fiber may help lower Low Density Lipoprotein, LDL, or "bad" cholesterol and blood sugar, the Mayo Clinic Health Letter reports.

Fiber comes in two forms -- soluble fiber, which dissolves in water to form a gel-like material and comes from beans, some fruits and even coffee, and insoluble fiber, which doesn't dissolve in water and passes through the digestive system largely unchanged. Sources of insoluble fiber are cereals, wheat bran, and the stalks and peels of fruits and vegetables, the American Dietetic Association says.

The American Dietetic Association recommends the daily allowance of dietary fiber for men is 30 to 38 grams per day and for women, 21 to 25 grams.

A study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found one cup of coffee per day contains up to 1.8 grams of soluble fiber.

The Mayo Clinic Health Letter says other good sources of soluble fiber include beans, fruits, berries, vegetables and oatmeal.

The Appreciation for Coffee

The appreciation for coffee is not unlike an appreciation for wine--the more you know, the more your experience is enhanced. There are four main elements one may notice when drinking coffee. An excellent blend will exhibit all four characteristics and bring them to the taster in a pleasing and well-balanced combination.

Our flavored coffees also exhibit these coffee characteristics--culminating in a complex taste profile. We use a lighter roast for our flavored coffees to create the perfect balance of flavor and coffee character.

Acidity

Not to be confused with bitterness, acidity in coffee brings a pleasant liveliness, sparkle, or snap to the drink that is experienced around the edges of the tongue and towards the back of the mouth. The acidity of a coffee may be assessed as lively, moderate, flat, or dull. A coffee such as our Columbian Supremo will exhibit a bright and pleasant acidity.

Aroma

Aroma is the smell or bouquet of the coffee. Wake up and smell the coffee! Specialty coffee will exhibit a complex floral aroma as does Gloria Jean's Special Blend.

Body
Coffee professionals refer to this as "mouth feel." It is the impression of lightness or of weight one experiences when drinking coffee. A full bodied coffee such as Gloria Jean's French Roast is sure to please.

Taste

In addition to the "flavor" in a flavored coffee, there is also coffee taste. Taste refers simply to the taste of the coffee. Taste experiences with coffee can range from one-dimensional (as in a "straight" or single varietal) to rich and complex (as found in some blends). Look for specific taste elements described as winey, earthy, sweet, nutty, smoky, or spicy.


Source: GloriaJeans.com

Coffee in the 21st Century

Today, coffee is a giant global industry employing more than 20 million people. This commodity ranks second only to petroleum in terms of dollars traded worldwide. With over 400 billion cups consumed every year, coffee is the world's most popular beverage. If you can imagine, in Brazil alone, over 5 million people are employed in the cultivation and harvesting of over 3 billion coffee plants.

Sales of premium specialty coffees in the United States have reached the multi billion-dollar level, and are increasing significantly on an annual basis.


Source - coffeeuniverse.com

Types of Coffees

ESPRESSO

Espresso is a black strong coffee prepared in Italian way by forcing live steam through dark-roast coffee beans. Coffee is placed into an espresso machine designed just for this purpose and hot water is forced through the coffee at very high pressure - extracting all the flavor possible. Brewing espresso has certainly been made easier, over the years, with the advancement of more automated machines. Preparing, however, the "perfect" cup of espresso is still a real art.

A 1 to 1 1/2 ounce shot of espresso should brew in 19-23 seconds. The espresso should flow out of the machine at a slow, but steady dribble. If your espresso has been perfectly brewed, the surface will be covered with a thick, foamy, golden brown crema. If the crema is good, then sugar in your espresso will float on the surface for a couple seconds. Espresso coffee, despite being a sublime experience on its own, is the foundation for a wide variety of specialty coffee drinks such as the Cappuccino.


CAPPUCCINO

Cappuccino is a strong coffee with frothy cream, topped with a pinch of powdered chocolate. The pale brown color of the coffee is reminiscent of the robes worn by Capuchin monks. A traditional cappuccino is served in a special white cup, similar to a teacup. The correct proportions are: 1/3 of just made espresso coffee, 2/3 of froth. The froth is prepared as follows: Fill a small jug to 1/3 of its capacity with fresh milk. Immerse the frothing arm found on all electric espresso machines to just below the surface of the milk. Turn on the steam and gradually lower the jug, allowing the milk to froth up while still keeping the froth arm just below the surface. Add a half of the froth into the espresso coffee. Sprinkle a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder or dark grated chocolate. Add the rest of the froth. Top off with a dash of cocoa or grated chocolate.


TURKISH

Derived from the Arabica bean, Turkish coffee is a very fine, powder-like grind. An aromatic spice called cardamom is sometimes added to the coffee while it is being ground. One can also boil whole seeds with the coffee and let them float to the top when served. Turkish coffee has six levels of sweetness ranging from very sweet to black. Since sugar is not added to the coffee after it is served, spoons are not needed. As the coffee begins to heat, it begins to foam. A rule of the Turkish coffee ceremony dictates that if the foam is absent from the face of the coffee, the host loses face.Turkish coffee is served hot from a special coffee pot called a cezve. Tradition states that after the guest has consumed the coffee and the cup is turned upside down on the saucer and allowed to cool, the hostess then performs a fortune reading from the coffee grounds remaining in the cup. Rich in tradition and flavor, Turkish coffee remains a favorite today.


SOURCE- Arabica.com

French Roast Coffee

Did you know that "French" roast coffee beans, just like "French" fries, did not originate from France? But among coffee drinkers, the popularity of French roast coffee, usually the Colombian type, is akin to the popularity of French fries among fast-food junkies.

The roasting process of French roast coffee is different from that of other medium roast coffees, as it is heated to a higher temperature. The high temperature, aobut 480-500 degrees Celcius does two things - it brings the coffee beans’ natural oils to its surface, and it coats them with a thin layer of carbon. The carbon gives the roast its distinct smoky flavor, and the oils its strong aroma and body.

Its very easy if you want to prepare your own home-brewed French roast coffee. Start with a bag of freshly roasted whole beans. You can grind only what you need, and the whole beans will remain fresh longer than store-ground ones. Ground coffees usually stays fresh up to 2 hours only after it was ground.

Most coffee grinders will have at least three settings: fine, medium, or coarse grind. Most coffee brewing machines are designed to perform best with medium grind. But French roast coffee requires a coarse grind, which is perfectly suited for brewing in a French press.

A French press is recommended for your brewing because you will want to use water as close to boiling as possible, and soak your grounds thoroughly, to bring out every bit of flavor from the ground coffee as you can.

De La Salle University-Dasmariñas Sessions

If you want to be different, if you want to be ahead ... set a date!

Take a grasp of the world of coffee, take a glimpse of the Barista basics.

Attend the Gloria Jean's Coffees' "Coffee Sessions with the Academe"!

Last September 17, 18 and 19, 2007, De La Salle University- the universities andDasmariñas took the lead among colleges in Cavite in bringing to the LaSallites, particularly its 3rd year Hotel and Restaurant Management students, the opportunity of learning about the basic coffee knowledge and the barista tasks, and experiencing the real feel of a coffee place.

A total of 5 sessions were held during the said dates, which coincides with the hosting of DLSU-Dasmariñas of the "First Cavite Invitational Gourmet Challenge."

"The 3-hour session was full of surprises, from the materials used during the training. Like the informative hand-outs, to the method of delivering to the students is objectives through interactive presentation," Miss Daffodil Cordero, the practicum supervisor of College of International Hospitality Management said.

Each student was given a certificate of participation, a button souvenir and meals, inclusive of our signature GJ Cappucino Chiller drink and pastry, which adds to the enthusiasm of the students to attend the seminar.

Attention was captured even more because of the array of prizes and freebies given out during the activity such as Gloria Jean's mugs, key chains, etc.

More such activities are being scheduled for the second semester of this school year for the other colleges of DLSU-Dasmariñas.

If your school is interested in holding similar events, you can contact us and arrange for a schedule. Gloria Jean's Coffees Galleria is located at Robinsons Galleria, 2nd level, East Wing Main Entrance. Our telephone number is 02-635-4568, kindly look for Mr. Raymond Landig.

Of Coffee and Cirrhosis

Once again, a new study shows that coffee may contain an ingredient that protects us from yet another widely known disease of the liver - alcoholic cirrhosis. The comprehensive study, shows that among more than 125,000 people studied for up to 22 years, coffee drinkers were less likely to be diagnosed with alcoholic cirrhosis.

The researchers noted, “these data support the hypothesis that there is an ingredient in coffee that protects against cirrhosis, especially alcoholic cirrhosis.”

Of course, they aren’t recommending that anyone rely on drinking coffee to prevent alcoholic cirrhosis. After all, “not drinking heavily” is definitely a better strategy for liver health, the researchers emphasized.

The participants were signed up for the study between 1978 and 1985. They were followed until the end of 2001. Upon joining the group, participants were given a thorough checkup and was asked to fill out a complete report about their own consumption of alcohol, coffee, tea, and cigarettes. Most importantly, none had been diagnosed with liver problems.

Here’s a summary of the participants’ own report

* Most particiant were noted drinking light or moderate amounts of alcohol (up to two daily drinks).
* About 8% of them admitted drinking three or more alcoholic drinks per day.
* Typical coffee consumption was one to three daily cups, as reported by 42% of the group.
* Approximately 16% reported drinking four or more daily cups of coffee.

Over the years, 330 participants were diagnosed with cirrhosis; 199 of those cases were alcoholic cirrhosis, while the remaining cases of cirrhosis were nonalcohol related. Which means about 60% are related to alcohol drinking.

For every daily cup of coffee that participants reported drinking, they were 22% less likely to have been diagnosed with alcoholic cirrhosis during the study. Although the odds of developing nonalcoholic cirrhosis weren’t linked to coffee consumption.

Coffee drinkers were also less likely to have high blood levels of liver enzymes. That pattern was strongest in people with the highest reported alcohol consumption.

The study didn’t identify what ingredient in coffee might help protect the liver from alcoholic cirrhosis. Caffeine might not get the credit. Tea contains caffeine, but tea consumption didn’t appear to lower participants’ odds of being diagnosed with any form of cirrhosis.

Finally, the study doesn’t prove that drinking coffee cuts the chance of developing alcoholic cirrhoses, the researchers caution. They also point out that if coffee protects the liver, the effects of adding cream, milk, sugar, or other substances to coffee aren’t yet known.


SOURCES: 1. Klatsky, A. Archives of Internal Medicine, June 12, 2006; vol 166: pp 1190-1195.
2. Gloria Jean’s September 2007 e-newsletter.