Growing wild in Ethiopia, carried along ancient trade routes through Venice to Europe, coffee finally arrived in America in the 1700s. Since then, it has surpassed all beverages except water in popularity. Now Brazil is the world’s largest producer of coffee with Vietnam pulling a close second. Coffee is one of those things that although we’ve heard a million times that we should eliminate it from our diet because of the numerous health risks; we’re still not willing to give it up. So, if you must have that cup of joe every morning, you’ll be happy to hear that recent studies are showing that there may be some significant health benefits from drinking coffee. And now we’re starting to see more and more organic types of coffee being offered which certainly adds to the health benefits and protects the environment.
In December of last year a study was presented at a conference of the American Association for Cancer Research in Houston, which showed men who drank the most coffee (six or more cups per day) were nearly 60% less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer than non-coffee drinkers. Researchers stated that coffee contains many potentially beneficial compounds such as antioxidants and minerals that may play a role in preventing prostate cancer.
“By and large, the studies show that coffee is far more beneficial than it is harmful,” says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, researcher at Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own research and tracks coffee studies around the globe. At least 6 studies have shown that people who drink coffee on a regular basis have up to 80% lower risks of developing Parkinson’s disease. Other studies indicate that, compared to not drinking coffee, drinking at least 2 cups per day can lead to a 25% lower risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in the risk of liver cirrhosis, and a nearly 50% reduction in the risk of gallstones.
This led me to an interesting discussion with Dick Portfolio who is the owner of my favorite little coffee place, The Coffee Trade, in Avon. If you love an iced café mocha, this is the place to get one, as it’s the best I’ve had in all my travels throughout the whole country. We talked about the many health benefits of coffee and the process of organic coffee production as Dick offers a Mexican organic coffee produced in southern Mexico.
“Organic” as most of you know, means anything that is completely natural, with no artificial or synthetic compounds used during its production or processing. The land on which it is grown must be uncultivated for at least three years or more so that it detoxifies itself from the remains of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. However, there may be less concern about coffee in terms of health risks because the pesticides and chemicals are not applied directly to the coffee bean. Similar to a coconut, coffee beans are encased by a hard shell and then pulp, which protects them from absorbing dangerous chemicals.
There are many varieties of organic coffee based on the method of farming and contribution towards the environment. Some of these include:
- Organic Shade Grown Coffee: Grown in the natural shade of tropical forests without clearing land for farming.
- Organic Bird Friendly Coffee: This is similar to Organic Shade Grown Coffee, and concerned with preserving the natural habitat of birds.
- Organic Kona Coffee: This organic coffee is grown in the fertile volcanic soil of the Kona region of Hawaii. Make sure it’s certified Kona as buying a Kona blend means they only have to put 5% Kona in the finished product.
Another thing to keep in mind regarding the health benefits of coffee is that the antioxidants and nutrients are the most potent in the freshest cup of coffee. So, your commercial grocery store bought coffee brands probably don’t do much for your health due to the lack of freshness.
Even some of the nationally known coffee chains may not be giving you the freshest coffee as you don’t know how long ago the beans were ground. So, if you’re going to drink it and you want the health benefits, it’s best to find a local shop that roasts their beans daily like the Coffee Trade. Dick likens it to the question, “Would you rather buy canned vegetables or fresh vegetables?” We all know that fresh veggies have the most potent antioxidants and nutrients, and it makes sense that freshly ground coffee beans would work the same way.
For those of you who have been drinking decaf coffee because regular coffee gives you the jitters, or you think it’s a safer alternative, think again. Not so, unless it’s Swiss water processed. Decaffeination is typically accomplished through the use of a chemical solvent such as carbon tetrachloride or methylene chloride. If you choose to drink decaf, make sure it’s water processed or also referred to as “Swiss water process” decaffeinated coffee. This method requires the beans to be cleaned and soaked in water, and immersed in flavor- charged water. Then the water passes through a carbon filter that traps the caffeine and then flows back to the beans to remove more caffeine. This process continues for about 8 hours until the beans are 99.9% caffeine-free. Lastly, the decaffeinated beans are removed from the water, dried and cleaned and ready to be roasted. For a more detailed explanation, visit www. swisswater.com. You can also get your own Swiss water Process at the Coffee Trade in Avon.
Another thing to keep in mind if you truly want to be chemical-free when you drink your coffee is to use only nonbleached filters. White coffee filters, which most coffee drinkers use, are bleached with chlorine and some of this chlorine will end up in your coffee during the brewing process.
Dick proudly tells me that his coffee has gone around the world, as his many customers and friends have brought it with them to places like Bali, Bangkok and even the Great Wall of China. It’s easy to understand why after you’ve tried it, it truly is the freshest cup of coffee you’ve ever had. Submitted by Dr. Diane Hindman. For more information, visit www.thecoffeetrade. com or call 860-676-2661. The Coffee Trade is located at 21 W. Main St. in Avon.