BREW...WHO KNEW?

Dear Friend,

I had some GREAT response (and RELIEF!) from so many of you on the coffee piece. Thank-you for sharing your own stories on how you popped you coffee cherries.

YES! COFFEE GOOD!!! ENJOY!!!!

Also had a few questions ...so here's a little more info about this wondrous beverage....

First off, contrary to what many think, even though it is usually a "darker, richer" taste, espresso drinks have far less caffeine that drip or percolated coffee.

Because caffeine is a water-soluble molecule, its rate of dissolution is proportionate to its time in contact with water. In other words, the longer the bean is in the water, the more caffeinated the brewski.

So the absolute highest amount of caffeine is in percolated coffee where the grind is bathed over and over and over again by the re-circulated water in the pot. Percolated coffee has THREE TIMES the caffeine of espresso, and tastes like battery acid soaked in a rusty can, if you ask me. At least my Aunt Rose's did.

Espresso drinks are so named because the water is steam-forced or "expressed" past the fine grind and so has very little contact time between the water and the bean.

It was difficult to find reliable numbers, but most sources report that the caffeine content of a 8 oz cup of brewed coffee averages about 85-192 mg, (ave: 135 mg) but varies widely according to cup size, the method of preparation, and the amount of coffee used.

Percolated coffee can reach upwards of 200-275mg of caffeine.

Espresso drinks contain 40-80mg of caffeine.

Decaffeinated coffee is not totally caffeine free, containing about 3mg of caffeine.

Because caffeine is a drug, it can kill you. But to put this in perspective, the fatal oral dose of caffeine is in excess of 5,000 mg - the equivalent of over 40 strong cups of coffee taken in within a few minutes ...simply not possible.

Caffeine stimulates the brain and behavior. Use of 75-150 mg of caffeine elevates neural activity in many parts of the brain, postpones fatigue, and enhances performance at simple intellectual tasks and at physical work that involves endurance but not fine motor coordination. Caffeine-caused tremor can reduce hand steadiness ...so make sure your brain surgeon isn't whacking down a Cup O Joe before he goes in, or you may end up mistaking your best friend for a hat.

Now one very important thing to remember: ORGANIC COFFEE ONLY!

From the "Urth Caffee" website some important facts and classifications to consider when buying coffee:

CERTIFIED ORGANIC: Certified organically grown means coffee that is 100% chemical free. Inspectors test soil, leaf, and beans for chemical residue; as well regularly inspecting roasting facilities. Coffee is the heaviest chemically treated food commodity in the world. The most common chemical used in coffee production is synthetic petroleum based fertilizers which slowly destroy the soil's fertility and seep into local water supplies.

SHADE GROWN: Farms that practice sustainable agriculture and only plant natural, non-sun resistant coffee trees grown deep in the dense shade of the rainforest canopy. Coffee trees do not naturally grow in direct sunlight, but under the shade of dense rainforest. To increase productivity, the coffee industry has developed sun-resistant coffee tree hybrids that have come to comprise approximately 70% of the world's coffee production. As a result rainforest is being cleared at alarming rates to make room for new, sun resistant coffee trees.

FAIR TRADE: Fair Trade coffees are bought at a guaranteed premium, usually three times more than the highest market price for conventional coffee, resulting in fair wages and better living conditions for the farmers.

Now ...some FUN COFFEE FACTS:

The word "cappuccino" comes from the 16th century Capuchin order of friars, whose hoods were called "cappuccinos." A cappuccino is a coffee topped with steamed milk.

The word "tip" is also related to coffee. It comes from old London coffeehouses where the waiters' brass boxes were etched with the inscription, "To Insure Promptness." In fact, it was in one such coffeehouses which belonged to a Mr Lloyd that a few cargo insurers got together to start the Lloyd's insurance company.

Know anybody who would like to enter the wonderful world of "Hey ..my Chiropractor e-mails me all this nutso stuff all the time..." Send them here:

http://4pains.com/Fabale/newsletter.htm

Enjoy that cup ...

Dr Lou