Coffee contains a complex mixture of chemical compounds. Some components, particularly those related to aroma, are produced during roasting of the green beans. The substances which during “brewing” dissolve in water to form the beverage are classified as nonvolatile taste components (including caffeine, trigonelline, chlorogenic acid, phenolic acids, amino acids, carbohydrates and minerals) and volatile aroma components (including organic acids, aldehydes, ketones, esters amines and mercaptans).

The major physiologically active substance in coffee is the alkaloid caffeine (C_8 H_10 O_2 N_4.H_2 O), also called guaranine or methyltheobromine, which acts as a mild stimulant.

A cup of coffee, depending on the strength, may contain some 20-100mg of caffeine. Some types of coffee may also contain significant amounts of the B-vitamin niacin, although this nutrient is of course readily available from other foods as well. Caffeine-containing tablets or medications should not be taken along with coffee.

The caffeine content of coffee depends on :

The Degree of the Roast-darker roasts will have less caffeine.

The Brewing Method.

The Species of Coffee.

Keeping the above factors in mind, caffeine content will be approximately as follows:

Drip, regular 106-164 mg / 5 oz.

Percolated, regular 93-134 mg / 5 oz.

Instant, regular 47-68 mg / 5 oz.

Decaffeinated 2-5 mg / 5 oz.

Benefits of Coffee :

The key to drinking coffee is that you drink in moderation.

When this is practiced, coffee can:

Remove fatigue and stimulate the senses.

Help in increasing stamina and burning fat.

Relieve vascular headache by reducing and constricting the dilation of arteries that cause vascular headache.

Add antioxidants to your diet.

Reduce the risk of Type II Diabetes.

Reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Reduce the risk of developing gallstones.

Those who drink coffee are less likely to commit suicide, suffer from liver cirrhosis, and in men, lower the risk of gallstones by 40%.

Myth : Caffeine is the only source of coffee.

Caffeine is naturally occurring substance found in leaves, seeds or fruits of more than 60 plants, including coffee and cocoa beans, cola nuts and tea leaves. Chocolates, soft drinks and tea all contain caffeine. Caffeine is also contained in many over-the-counter and prescription medications.

Effects of Caffeine :

The effects of caffeine vary from person to person; some individuals can drink several cups of coffee in an hour and notice no effects; while others may feel a strong effect after just one serving.

Short term effects

Caffeine is a drug that has been widely used for centuries. It acts as a mild stimulant to the central nervous system and helps in reducing drowsiness and fatigue. However, regular use may lead to “habituation” or “addiction”.

Besides this, caffeine also temporarily increases the heartbeat, blood pressure, and stimulates the action of the lungs; increases basal metabolic rate, and promotes urine production; it also relaxes the muscles, notably the bronchial muscles. Caffeine is used in treating migraine, either alone or in combination.

Long term effects

Although caffeine does not fall into the class of “addictive” drugs, it may be habit-forming. Some people may experience headache, fatigue, irritability and nervousness when their daily intake of caffeine is substantially or quickly altered.

Such “withdrawal effect” may be responsible for confusing results in some studies.

There are many complicating factors in long-term studies. One is the familiar “convergence of risk–factors” (e.g. that coffee-drinkers may be more likely to be smokers). Another is that many of the subjects may have changed their habits or behavior, e.g. in case of hypertension. There may also be significant differences in methods of coffee preparations between the study populations, or over long periods of time

Side- Effects of Caffeine Addiction :

People who drink only one cup of coffee can also experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms if they miss their morning wakeup cup. The degree of the withdrawal symptoms will depend on your general physical well-being at the time, the amount of caffeine you are missing out on, and your sensitivity.

Some noted side-effects of drinking too much caffeine include:

Sleep disturbances.

Dehydration due to frequent urination.

Restlessness and jitters due to increase in the adrenaline hormone.

Nausea.

Headache.

Tense muscles.

Heartburn.

Cardiac arrhythmias.

Note that these side-effects are a result of consuming too much caffeine. If you are experiencing these symptoms, consult your doctor. You might not need to quit your caffeine intake completely-just cut down.

To speed up the withdrawal process, drink lots of water to flush the caffeine from your system and take extra sleep.

How to cut Caffeine intake?

Most people report a very good success ratio by cutting down caffeine intake at the rate of ½ cup of coffee a day. This is known as Caffeine Fading. Alternatively you might try reducing coffee intake in discrete steps of 2-5 cups of coffee less per week. If you are drinking more than 10 cups of coffee a day, you should seriously consider cutting down.

The best way to proceed is to consume caffeine regularly for a week, while keeping a precise log of the times and amounts of caffeine intake (remember that chocolate, tea, soda beverages and many headache pills contain caffeine as well as coffee). At the end of the week proceed to reduce your coffee intake at the rate recommended above.

Remember to have substitutes available for drinking: if you are not going to have a hot cup of coffee at your 10 minute break, you might consider having hot chocolate or herbal tea, but not decaff, since decaff has also been shown to be addictive. This should take you through the works without much problem.

Some other people quit cold turkey. Withdrawal symptoms are quite nasty this way but they can usually be countered with lots of sleep and exercise. Many people report being able to stop drinking caffeine almost cold-turkey.

Who should avoid Caffeine?

Caffeine should be used with caution by people with heart disease and hypertension, and by those suffering from the eye disease glaucoma. Caffeine medications should generally not be used in children.

Moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy is generally considered safe. However, although it has been suggested that caffeine may stimulate milk production, cautious mothers may prefer to avoid such beverages during pregnancy or while breast feeding.

Furthermore, a study has shown that caffeine might be linked to osteoporosis.

THINGS TO BE NOTED FOR DRINKING COFFEE :

In order to drink coffee healthily, some important points to be noted are as follows:

The best time for drinking coffee, as indicated by doctor’s investigation, are: 4 pm- 6 pm in summer and autumn, and 3 pm-5 pm in spring and winter because these are the times when people are most tired.

Try not to drink more than 5 cups of coffee (about 150 ml per cup).
Do not drink before sleep in order to prevent suffering from insomnia.

Drink coffee in the morning to keep your mind clear and awake, but do not drink on an empty stomach, in order to prevent from hurting the stomach.

Do not smoke or drink beer immediately after drinking coffee, because this will accelerate the blood’s circulation and increase the burden to the heart.

Do not drink coffee if you are breast feeding, because caffeine can be mixed in with milk and be absorbed by the infant.

Do not drink coffee that is too thick, as it makes people more impatient and reduce the ability of comprehension.

It is better to add in some cream when drinking coffee, in order to mitigate the stimulation to stomach. Also the amount of sugar added should be noted in order to avoid obesity.

For the perfect cup of coffee to be tasty, the selection of coffee bean is most important. Also the quality and temperature of water, the method of extraction and processing all contribute to the taste of coffee.

Coffee Trend : Health Suspect to Hero

The first is the discovery that coffee has as much right to claim membership in the surprise-it's-good-for-you club as do long-time club members green tea and red wine. The second, converging coffee trend is the popularity of hybrid beverages that combine familiar ingredients with substances ranging from vitamins to medicinal herbs in an attempt to convince buyers that these often odd-tasting beverages in strange-shaped containers will help them take on the world with more energy, less weight gain, better attitude, etc.

The still unfolding transformation of coffee- from dietary villain to fitness drink- loaded with antioxidants and documented health benefits, must come as a surprise to coffee drinkers, still used to defending our favorite beverage against the attacks of herbal tea drinkers leering smugly at us from over their mugs of thin-bodied stuff smelling like a cross between deodorant and dead leaves.

Coffee's transformation from health suspect to a position somewhere between health-neutral to strongly health-positive is too complex to summarize here, but it started with the discovery that in long-term coffee studies that connect dietary and other habits to incidence of disease and mortality, regular coffee drinkers often fared better, not worse, than non-coffee drinkers in certain categories, ranging from suicide to decreased risk of colon cancer.

For a summary of potential benefits from a pro-coffee perspective, go to www.coffeescience.org. For a more detached survey of coffee health issues, log on to the European site www.cosic.org.

As for health risks of coffee drinking, nothing at all has been proven against coffee when consumed at a level of four or fewer cups per day. (When considering this guideline, however, remember that we are talking 5-ounce cups, not 20-ounce grandes. For espresso drinkers, this guideline would translate to about four to five shots of espresso per day.)

Health properties compel us to drink more coffee.