On Coffee

I had my usual cup of coffee this morning. This influenced my blog subject today. Inspired by the plethora of coffee houses in the U.S. and almost as many in every foreign country to which I travel I want to write about the world's obsession with coffee. Though it is true that in some parts of the world, particularly in some Asian countries, coffee is still second to tea as the main drink of choice, coffee is gaining fast in popularity even where it once was rarely seen. I seem to run into a new coffee house here, or to at least see one being constructed, every week.
As New Orleans is one of the world's leading coffee ports, we get the best of coffees for our local consumption. Any number of local brands of coffee sold in a New Orleans grocery or specialty store can compete with the world's best. But how much coffee is enough? That's a question I never gave much thought to (I only consume one cup in the morning each day) it until I read an article concerning the good and bad of coffee, how to drink it "the right way".
The article points out that coffee can be a good thing when consumed in moderation. The caffeine in coffee can temporarily jolt alertness, perk up performance, and improve concentration. But there is a bad side to coffee as well. Caffeine is a drug, not a nutrient that the body requires (like vitamins). Drinking too much of it or using it to replace a nutritious food is the bad side to coffee drinking, for too much caffeine may lead to health problems that include high blood pressure, brittle bones, sleep problems and irritability.
Coffee is most dangerous to young children and teens because their growing bones are affected by the caffeine leeching that takes away calcium form bones. This may retard growth or make for weaker bones. Here are some of the tips recommended for coffee lovers.
- Take notice of the caffeine buzz you may feel after that extra cup of coffee, and stop drinking it when it happens.
- Most research says that healthy people can drink from 1 to 3 cups of coffee a day without negative side effects. But pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with heart disease and ulcers are more susceptible to the effects of caffeine and should drink coffee rarely.
- Check the caffeine content in your favorite brew. It varies depending on how it is roasted and brewed.
- If you drink coffee, remember to cut back on other high caffeine drinks (soft drinks, tea) chocolate, and even headache medicines. All have high caffeine amounts.
- If you drink coffee regularly and skip a day t you may experience temporary "Caffeine withdrawal". But those symptoms go away in a day or two after getting your next coffee fix.
- Beware of medications you take reacting with the caffeine in your coffee. Ah,, I like nothing better than a good cup of coffee and a donut for breakfast.
Come to think of it.... that may explain my "unusual ways" here in your mail box. I think I'll have a cup of coffee to help me figure out if that's really so.