THE COFFEE BEAN

updated January 6, 2014

Magic, or no? How many times have we heard the yeahs and nays of the touted coffee bean and its so-called health benefits. Then there is the decaf controversy.  Is decaf any good at all, or supported by coffee bean mongers to be healthful when it is not, due to over-processing and the desire to open markets and sell more product?

The Coffee Bean

Right now it is mid afternoon, and of late I have set aside my cup of tea for, yes, a small cup of very black, very bold brewed coffee.  I must say, yesterday after such a feat, I was wide awake, focused, and ready for anything by 6 PM, usually the slump time of the day where all goes ever so slowly with the added stress of having to make some kind of a healthful dinner when food shopping has been quite delinquent of late :)  I MUST say, the coffee tasted great, just a few sips of the java made all the difference and a mustered up delicious dinner ensued despite my quite lacking culinary skills! 

Here are a few interesting and simple studies, I really go to Mayo Clinic, its coffee benefits advice is trusted, researched and au courant.

Newer studies have also shown that coffee may have benefits, such as protecting against Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes and liver cancer. And it has a high content of antioxidants.

A caveat however which I find compelling, as more than one cup a day can give me ill effects  as mild dizziness and jitters, is this warning from Mayo Clinic:

High consumption of unfiltered coffee is associated with mild elevations in cholesterol levels. And another study found that two or more cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of heart disease in people with a specific — and fairly common — genetic mutation that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body. So, how quickly you metabolize coffee may affect your health risk.

I would like to know more about this "genetic mutation" regarding the breakdown of caffeine in the body, and how this breakdown could be measured and the mutation identified. Also, the link with heart disease and metabolism is compelling.

Another article from CNN refers to Mayo Clinic and sums up quite nicely other articles I have read on coffee, so please take a peak for data compiled this August 2012 and see where you fit in.

Okay, so now there is decaf coffee. IS it as beneficial as caffeinated, different somehow good or bad?  I really like the Livestrong website, sign up if you have not already.  Here, the decaf benefits are similar to the caffeinated benefits, with less jitters!  Listed benefits of decaf coffee are lower risk of diabetes, decreased incidence of cancer, and less death from heart disease.     There are other great related links too, find what ails you and seek out solutions!

My favorite coffees?  Gevalia, Starbucks, and good old American Folgers, well priced and good to the last drop!  Also, look for coffee with heavy grinds, the more refined the less oxidants, according to Dr. Oz.

*UPDATE: check out this link at Forbes, A Snapshot on Caffeine's Fascinating Effects On The Brain, bravo coffee bean!