April 09, 2006
The first coffee house opened in Constantinople in 1475.
There are examples of people drinking coffee before this time (an Arabian physician Avicenna is credited with brewing the first cup around 1000 AD) but the earliest concrete evidence of commercial coffee was found in Constantinople.
English coffee houses opened in the 1650s. They were called penny universities – the price for a cup was a penny.
By 1800, in Italy, the strong dark drink was considered a miracle “cure-all.” Even the pope approved of the drink although the church originally thought it the “drink of the devil.” Perhaps linking the drink to the ‘dark one’ was good marketing: by 1765 there were close to 300 coffee houses in Venice.
Starbucks – coffee on every corner – is not a new idea.
The wild popularity of coffee and the dedication seen in the people who drink it are evidence of human addiction – to the caffeine that’s found in the natural variety.
In a cup (8 oz.) of Maxwell House, there is 110 mg of caffeine. But in the same size cup of coffee you buy at Starbucks, there is 250 mg of caffeine. Trade secret: in Starbucks’ large (16 oz.) “decaf,” there is 10 mg of caffeine. No wonder people seem to prefer Starbucks, right? [Source: Center for Science in the Public Interest]
It’s well known that caffeine is addictive. But... is coffee bad for you?
Natural coffee is a mix of many substances, some of which contain anti-oxidants. And, although many anti-oxidants are poorly understood, here are a few of the things coffee has been shown to do:
dilate blood vessels (wine does this, too)
remove oxidants via palmitates which enhance enzymes in the gut
decrease the risk for gallstones
reduce LDL oxidation (the so called BAD cholesterol)
act as an enema for the GI tract
decrease risk for Parkinson’s disease
decrease risk for Alzheimer’s disease
lower the risk of liver cirrhosis (good to know for the high alcohol consumers)
decrease risk for colon cancer (decaf doesn’t do this)
lower the risk for diabetes type 2
What about the nearly ubiquitous conventional wisdom that coffee is bad for you? Fear of coffee stems from late 1970s. Studies were done showing coffee was associated with bladder cancer. However, well-controlled studies attempting to duplicate the association failed to confirm any of the earlier reported studies. The reason? The studies finding harm were done before Mr. Coffee and the ubiquitous paper filters, which are now thought to remove several of the toxic volatile oils that may be related to disease.
The other main concern doctors – read western medicine – have with coffee is the potential danger of caffeine.
But, there is very little evidence that caffeine, in moderate doses, is harmful. Just the opposite in fact: numerous studies show caffeine benefits in memory, learning, and even athletic performance.
The exception to this generalization is if you suffer from thyroid disease. If you have intolerance to temperature changes (if you feel hot or cold all the time) or if you suffer from severe dry skin frequently, you may have thyroid disease. Studies remain inconclusive, but my hunch is that some people with a predisposition to thyroid disease aggravate the condition by consuming caffeine. If you have these symptoms, I suggest a trial of no caffeine. You may see a substantial decrease in the severity of your symptoms.
Taking my own medicine, I went cold turkey on coffee and caffeine for the month of July.
I can report that my mind and body felt clear for the first time in a while. Now that I am back on the stuff and feeling a little sluggish, I will be attempting another month long trial this spring.
But… I may miss out on some of the incredible benefits in coffee if I stop…
Bottom Line: Beware of too many French Press Coffees or too many of those machine drinks made pressed with steamed water. Also try an occasional decaf or do what I do and order mostly half-cafs!
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