COFFEE TALK

The Great Coffee Question. I’m often asked my opinion on drinking coffee, one of life’s greatest pleasures for many.  The following will help you make better choices about both quantity and quality of coffees. 

Introduction to Coffee.  Coffee is the most prevalent stimulant in the world today. Its energetics are warming and stimulating and its flavour bitter-sweet.  Coffee first appeared in human culture as a medicine.  Folk medicine has traditionally used it for treating headaches, snakebites, jaundice and dizziness.  Outside of Asia it has become an extremely popular beverage and in my opinion, an antidote to our lifestyles of excess that leave us exhausted and relying on stimulants.     

Short Term Effects.  The short-term side effects of coffee are well known and undisputed.  On the positive side the caffeine in coffee helps with both mental and motor functioning and to delay drowsiness and fatigue. Coffee is also known to contain valuable antioxidants. These positive effects usually take place when 1-2 six ounce cups of caffeinated coffee are consumed.  On the other hand coffee can cause anxiety and nervousness, heart palpitations, insomnia, excessive sweating and the “coffee come-down” or crash in its aftermath. Ten cups of coffee in a row can produce toxic effects such as vomiting and mental confusion.  One hundred  cups is the lethal dose.  

Long Term Effects.  Unfortunately most of the 25 years of coffee studies don’t take into account the quality of coffee.  Nevertheless, various studies show things such as increased risk for urinary tract, bladder and pancreatic cancer as well as heart disease.  Others show decrease risk of diabetes or liver disease.  Heavy coffee drinkers may increase their risk for osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases affected by mineral deficiencies.  The reasons are threefold: (1) Coffee contains acidic chemicals that damage intestinal cells and disrupt nutrient absorption; (2) Alkaline minerals are leached out of bones to neutralize the acidity, (3) Its diuretic properties cause excessive loss of minerals as well as dehydration. I would imagine most heavy drinkers are deficient in calcium, magnesium, potassium and other important minerals.

Coffee’s stimulating effects can also contribute to a growing problem of chronic fatigue and burn-out by overworking our adrenal glands (commonly called the stress glands) that help our bodies respond to stress.  Needing more and more coffee to get the same wake-up benefits is a sure sign of adrenal fatigue.   

Common Sense and Coffee.

Common sense dictates that our main source of hydration should be water.  For most people one-to-two 6 ounce cups of quality coffee a day may be fine.  Because of the ridiculous super-sizing of beverages nowadays you can easily consume too much  For example, Starbucks coffee sizes are 8, 12, 16 and 20 ounces.  This means if you have two Venti sizes (20 oz.) a day you have had nearly seven servings of 6 ounce coffees!  A traditional mug holds about 8 ounces of fluid but these days many are made to hold up to 12.   So, always order the smallest size coffee available.

 If you are drinking 6-12 ounces of coffee a day make sure you consume at least 6-8 cups of water and do not consume other caffeinated foods or beverages. Moreover, avoid highly acidic foods/beverages such as Pork, Coke, Pepsi and aspartame.  

People who might consider avoiding or limiting coffee are those with mood disorders (anxiety, mania, ADD), insomnia, digestive disorders (acid reflux, ulcers, irritable bowel, etc.), osteoporosis, high blood pressure, kidney disease, bladder disorders and heart irregularities. Combining coffee with many natural and prescription weight loss products can be dangerous especially if you have existing heart problems.  You might also consider quality decaffeinated or low-acidity coffees. 

Buying Quality Coffee.  Avoid toxic chemicals by carefully selecting quality coffees.  Toxic and carcinogenic substances are used in the cultivation of non-organic beans and in the production of most decaffeinate and instant coffees.    Purchase fresh, unprocessed and certified organic coffees for both superior taste and health benefits.   Traditional coffees such as Yemen, most Ethiopian and most Sumatra Mandheling coffees are grown in pre-industrial manners without chemicals of modern invention.

If drinking decaffeinated coffee use those processed using water (such as  SWISS WATER® Process).   Most decaf is made using chemical solvents  such as methylene chloride ethyl acetate.  Nescafe and Taster’s Choice decafs use water process.  Be aware that labels saying only “water process”, “natural process”, and “European process” are sometimes used to describe decaffeination yet employ chemicals.

Consume fresh coffee only. Coffee bean oils quickly go rancid once ground.  Since rancid oils are harmful either freshly grind your own beans or purchase from places that roast and grind daily. 

Minimize caffeine intake.  Specialty coffees contain considerably less caffeine than cheaper commercial coffees.  Most inexpensive commercial blends are based on robusta coffees which contain almost double the amount of caffeine as Arabica yet half the flavour.     

Invest in full-bodied and untreated coffees.  Kenyas, Yemens, Ethiopias, and Guatemalas are extremely flavourful and can be mixed with the more mundane decaffeinated coffees. 

Minimizing Acidity.  You can buy acid reduced coffees (mostly made in Germany) often marked under the name ‘mild’.   However, they are processed using chemical solvents, are hard to find, offer little variety, and are less flavorful. Since roasting decreases the sensation of acidity in our taste or by an irritated stomach, consider moderately-dark-to-dark roasted coffee. Coffee beans grown at lower-altitudes are naturally less acidic: these include Brazils, most India and Pacific (Sumatra, Timor, Hawaii) coffees, and most Caribbean coffees.

If the acid taste bothers you keep in mind that good quality coffee is processed from ripe coffee fruit and is naturally sweet compared to the sharp biting tastes of processed coffees. Because of its acidity, avoid having coffee on an empty stomach.   You can even make your own de-acidified coffee (see recipe below).