Coffee, Tea or ME?

Typical scene.

Man calls up woman; man ask for a date; woman said yes; man meets woman in a nice and cozy restaurant; have a quiet romantic dinner; then man brings woman to her house.

And then, right at the doorstep, just as they bid their goodbyes, here comes the tricky part ...

Woman suddenly turns around and ask the man, "would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?"

Or maybe, she'd say "would you like to come in for coffee?"

Familiar lines, aren't they?

On the surface, you would think the two innocent "invitations" do mean one and the same, right? Or do they?

Many people think they're interchangeable, but they're wrong.

It has been said that if invited to have "a cup of coffee," it means, well, you are being offered a cup of coffee, literally. While inviting someone "to have coffee" really means, "do you want to come in and have sex with me?"

So there, the cat is out!

Ladies, next time you invite someone into your house for a night cap and have a cup of coffee, make sure you say "a cup of coffee" clearly, unless you want to have more than just a cup of coffee.

As for the men, you know what to do, don't you?

Ladies and gentlemen, join us here, and have your say, as we list some reasons why you think coffee is better (or worse) than sex!

Ethiopia tackles AIDS with Coffee-Flavour Condoms

Doctors have long argued about the health effects of coffee, but its reputation seems likely to receive a boost thanks to a flavoured condom that aims to encourage safer sex in Ethiopia.

Around 300,000 of the coffee condoms were sold in a week when they were launched in September, according to the US charity DKT International.

It hopes to tap into Ethiopia's coffee mania as a means to tackle high rates of HIV in the country, which is said to have invented the drink.

The charity said that with 2.1% of Ethiopians infected with Aids - and more than 7% in the capital, Addis Ababa - the flavoured prophylactic was more than a novelty. "Everybody likes the flavour of coffee," said a spokeswoman.

For the complete article, click here.

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.

Excerpt courtesy Linda Stahl, The Courier-Journal and GJ Coffee Companion. For the complete read of this article, click here.

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.

Who Does What?

A man and his wife were having an argument about who
should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first,
and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."
The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and
you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."
Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible
that the man should do the coffee."
Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament
and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says.........."HEBREWS"

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.

The World of Coffee

History of Coffee
Coffee’s roots are widely debated and like a fine wine, are shrouded in mystery and Romance. There are many versions of how this extraordinary beverage came to be. The most famous and well known is the legend of Kaldi, a third century monk living in Ethiopia.

It is believed that this monk discovered the Arabica coffee bean (indigenous to Ethiopia) when he found his goats dancing wildly after eating the cherries from a bush. He tried the cherries himself and enjoyed their stimulating effects so much that he shared them with the other monks. It soon became a religious ceremonial drink to keep them awake during their long hours of prayer at night.


The Emergence of Coffee as a Beverage
Coffee first emerged in the form similar to tea today. The leaves from coffee shrubs were boiled in water and the liquid was consumed “black”. This preparation technique gave way to the use of cherries and later the roasted seeds of cherries known as coffee beans.

It did not take long for the popularity of coffee to spread, and as a result a great demand was created for drink. Coffee is both a functional beverage (a wake-me-up) as well as a sensual experience. An understanding of the romance and history of coffee is integral to truly enjoy a fine cup of coffee. Few people realize the history they hold in their cup!


The Cultivation of Coffee
The coffee tree grows at altitudes between sea level and 6,000 feet (1829 meters). Botanically, the coffee tree is an evergreen shrub and can grow as high as 10 feet. It is kept trimmed to facilitate harvesting methods. The coffee tree produces hard green cherries, which turn bright red when ripe. Arabica trees are left to mature for a five-year period before they are put into production. Numerous stages of development occur simultaneously.

Coffee is derived form a cherry and is, in fact, a fruit and not a bean, as many people think. (The bean is actually the pit of the cherry.) There are usually two hard green and waxy beans inside each cherry.


How Coffee is grown
Similar to winemaking, coffee farming is a very delicate and intricate process. The coffee plant begins as a shrub, living in seedbeds in a nursery until it is approximately 3 inches high. The seedling is then transplanted into pots, where after a year, it is re-planted in the ground. The cherries on the shrub require the perfect balance of shade, rain and sunshine, and thrive in warm, humid climates.


Coffee Growing Regions
Latin America
o Costa Rica produces some of the world’s finest wet-process coffees. At its best, it balances acidity, body, and flavourful richness.
o Mexico the very best of Mexican coffees have a delicately balanced acidity and are smooth with a hint of sweetness and nutty overtones
o Brazil is the worlds leading coffee growing nation producing 29% of the world’s coffee. Brazilian coffee is typically dry processed and is often described as having a “nutty” flavour.
o Colombia’s coffee is carefully handpicked, wet-processed and beans are graded according to their size, not their quality. Colombian Supremo, large, bold beans, is Colombia’s finest quality coffee.

Africa and the Middle East
o Ethiopia – Coffee is indigenous to Ethiopia, where it was found growing wild in the third century. Much of Ethiopia’s coffee crop goes un-picked because it cannot be accessed by roads. Ethiopian coffee is processed by the dry method and has a pungent exotic quality and a vigorous spicy aroma.
o Kenya – With the most rigid grading and production systems, beans are classified by growing district, bean size and by letters (AA being the largest and highest quality, followed by A, B). Kenya AA produces a cup that is sharp and bright with the perfect balance of acidity.
o Yemen – Yemen Mocha coffee is rich and dark, and can be described as chocolate-like. It is common misconception that the word “mocha” means a chocolate-flavoured coffee. In fact, Mocha is a port in Yemen.

Asia-Pacific
o Indonesia coffees are the fullest bodied coffees in the world. Sumatra, in particular, is famous for its full-bodied, tangy and exotic flavour qualities.
o Vietnam is now one of the world’s largest producers of coffee, however, most Vietnamese coffees are low-grade Robusta.


N.B. A similar, but more comprehensive post can be found here, "Coffee Sessions with the Academe" blogspot.