And You Thought Coffee Was Bad for You!

I am sure that if you are a coffee enthusiast, you have heard this, but if not let me state it here. "Coffee is good for you!"

"Coffee is good for you!"

Recent research has shown that coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. Antioxidants, are nutrients that are responsible from protecting your body's cells from being destroyed by toxins. This destruction has been linked to an increased risk of certain medical conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and others.

Antioxidants are found in the good stuff that our mothers made us eat when we were little, namely fruits & veggies. Amazingly, many of us didn't listen and took up coffee instead because more Americans get their daily dose of antioxidants from coffee than from broccoli!

The top 10 list for the the source of antioxidants in the Americandiet were listed as follows:

1. Coffee 2. Black Tea 3. Bananas 4. Dried Beans 5. Corn 6. Red Wine 7. Beer 8. Apples 9. Tomatoes 10.Potatoes

Research also showed that there was esentially no difference between the amount of antioxidants in regular versus decaf coffees.

Now this doesn't mean that you should run out and consume mass amounts of coffee. Like everything in life, moderation is the key!

And by the way, you should still eat your fruits and veggies, just finish them off with a great cup of coffee!

Check out more coffee tips and science at the coffee facts & fiction section of our website, WeBeJava.com

WeBeJava.com

gourmet coffee my everyday whats yours

I know, I understand, but I really can't resist the incredible taste of coffee. Lots of friends tell me this is no good, yeah... Before work, during work and after work. Well, I drink coffee everyday. Some intro and history here... Where does this amazing small black pee from? This is the coffee bean. On the rising hills of Columbia, the fastest growing cash crop in the country is cultivated. The seeds of this shrub, which belongs to the Madder family, are called coffee, as is the beverage made from them, produced by passing boiled water through a filter containing ground roasted coffee beans. It can be consumed warm or cold and in any of the following styles: instant, filter, cappuccino, espresso (so strong you are only allowed 5ml at any one time, and it must be served in a steel reinforced cup), mocha, latte, or any combination of these with the word 'double' attached somewhere. Some drink their coffee with cream and sugar, others with milk and sugar; but purists claim the only way to drink a cup of 'Joe' is black... with or without sugar. Columbia is not the only country to produce fine grains of ambrosia. The hands-down best producer of coffee may be Puerto Rico. Yucua is the name of the plant. It is grown on the mountains of the rainforest on the beautiful island. Rare and expensive, this is the coffee of choice not just for Puerto Ricans, but also for the Vatican... and the Pope knows his coffee! So here're some Coffee Facts * Coffee beans grow on small trees. * It takes the annual yield of one tree to produce one pound of roasted beans. * Coffee beans are grown in subtropical regions around the world. * The biggest growers are Brazil and Columbia. * Commercial coffee crops are of two main types: Robustas and Arabicas. * Robusta coffee has twice as much caffeine as Arabica. * Arabica beans produce a smoother flavor and are the main constituent of most high-quality coffees. * It takes about 40 beans to make an espresso. * Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans are the most expensive in the world. * Coffee beans of several types are roasted together to produce appealing flavors.

I know, I understand, but I really can't resist the incredible taste of coffee. Lots of friends tell me this is no good, yeah... Before work, during work and after work. Well, I drink coffee everyday.Some intro and history here... Where does this amazing small black pee from?This is the coffee bean. On the rising hills of Columbia, the fastest growing cash crop in the country is cultivated.* Coffee beans of several types are roasted together to produce appealing flavors.

gourmet coffee trivia

Interesting gourmet coffee facts:

• The Boston Tea Party was planned in a coffee house – the Green Dragon Coffee House
• 27% of U.S. coffee drinkers and 43% of German drinkers add a sweetener to their coffee.
• The world's largest coffee producer is Brazil with over 3,970 million coffee trees. Colombia comes in second with around two thirds of Brazil's production.
• Hard bean means the coffee was grown at an altitude above 5000 feet.
• Arabica and Robusta trees can produce crops for 20 to 30 years under proper conditions and care.
• Most coffee is transported by ships. Currently there are approximately 2,200 ships involved in transporting the beans each year.
• In Turkey a husband who refused to provide his wife with the drink could be divorced by her!
• Germany is the world's second largest consumer of coffee in terms of volume at 16 pounds per person. Second to the United States at 19 pounds per person.
• Over 53 countries grow coffee worldwide, but all of them lie along the equator between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn.
• An acre of coffee trees can produce up to 10,000 pounds of coffee cherries. That amounts to approximately 2,000 pounds of beans after hulling or milling.
• The percolator was invented in 1827 by a French man. It would boil the coffee producing a bitter tasting brew. Today most people use the drip or filtered method to brew their coffee.
• With the exception of Hawaii and Puerto Rico, no coffee is grown in the United States or its territories.
• Up until the 1870's most coffee was roasted at home in a frying pan over a charcoal fire. It wasn't until recent times that batch roasting became popular.
• Each year some 7 million tons of green beans are produced world wide. Most of which is hand picked.
• The popular trend towards flavored coffees originated in the United States during the 1970's.
• Mission Grounds Gourmet Coffee is the most satisfying cup of coffee - it donates all its profits to children.
October 1st is the official Coffee Day in Japan.
• The first coffee tree in the Western Hemisphere was brought from France to the Island of Martinique in the 1720's

curious coffee facts coffee is the second most traded product after oil

Coffee is part of our daily lives and we definitely love it, but were things always like that? How popular was coffee during its first days in the Western world? Among the first coffee facts that have been preserved over the centuries it is impressive to know how it was banned from the Christian world as the devil's drink.

Coffee actually reached Europe as a result of the flourishing commerce the Venetians had with the Eastern countries, and they brought it from Constantinople where it was kept very high in esteem as being an incredibly tasty drink. Christian priests at the time argued against any positive coffee facts that it was a drink given to the infidels by Satan as a substitute for wine which had been forbidden to them.

Historic coffee facts indicate that it wasn't until the 16th century that this now so popular drink was blessed by the pope and commerce started to develop. At the end of the 1500s, Europe actually saw the creation of the first coffee houses, and the former banishing of this drink remained in the past and the subject of popular anecdotes.

Coffee facts show that presently this drink has gained such a great prominence that people are actually celebrating a special coffee day; moreover in terms of commercial importance we need to say that coffee is the second most traded product after oil. Among the many curious coffee facts we need to mention that there are hundreds of coffee varieties growing all over the world, nevertheless, only two are largely cultivated for economic purposes: Arabica and Robusta.

A fully-grown coffee tree will remain in production for up to forty years once it starts to produce coffee beans, not to mention that it only takes five years to become fertile. Though, Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world, there are plenty other geographical areas suitable for the cultivation of this very important tree: Java, Mexico, some Caribbean islands, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Tanzania, Kenya or Cameroon.

Among the most surprising coffee facts we should mention here, one is related to the increased flavor of the coffee beans that results from the roasting process. The secret behind the exquisite taste lies in the presence of sugar within the internal structure of coffee beans; during the roasting process, this sugar gets caramelized which intensifies the overall flavor and delights every coffee lover.