12/14/2013

K-cup Coffee GREAT for your health!

Dec 13, 2013I also have sever stomach cramps
by: Zoomeranger

Wow....I have been using the Keurig coffee maker for over a year now. When I use the Starbuck's brand of single serve cups I would get a stomach cramp and feel off.

Finally this week after again using the machine with Starbucks and getting severe cramps I thought it might be the coffee brand alone, as other less intense brands don't bring on the same symptoms.

Reading the other blogs it is disconcerting about potential side affects from continued use.

I may go back to my old Tassimo which did not inflict the condition.

Question is? What government agency would look into this if the complaint were to be brought forward.

Good health to all readers. Drink spring water. It may be safer (I hope)

Dec 08, 2013Yes, BPA has toxicity
by: Anonymous

That is why BPA is banned in California, if they come in contact with infants. Can it be good for adults? It can't be great!

Dec 06, 2013FDA....ha
by: Anonymous

I believe very little of what the FDA says. I wished that wasn't so but they are in bed with money.

Nov 30, 2013Yes Virginia those K-Cups are TOXIC
by: OcularSpy.com

First and foremost #7 plastics are about the worst on the market for leaching both BPA and other nasty toxins into your coffee (or whatever). It is also used in the large plastic 3 and 5 gallon water bottles for coolers.

Granted there is not a huge significant amount but when you combine your coffee with your dozen personal care products, the flame retardant dust from your couch, bed, bedding, carpets and other foam products, the chemicals in your household cleaning supplies, air fresheners, and countless other things that you come across daily - well it all adds up to a toxic mixture that you didn't even know you were about to consume.

Paper coffee cups are sometimes lined with wax that will melt and re-harden inside your body. Then there is the question of recycled paper which in most cases can contain BPA as well.

With some very careful preparation you can find a way to significantly reduce your exposure to these high risk areas and really work on a clean life. It may not be as convenient at first but I choose life over convenience any day.

As for checking with the actual company, are you insane? They are going to do everything possible to protect their product, they do not have to disclose anything to you. This is an UNREGULATED area and one of high concern. #7 Other (usually polycarbonate) plastic: if you must use plastic it should be replaced with 1, 5 or corn-based plastics, or even shatter-resistant glass. The evil #7 is one of the worst out there often used in 5-gallon water bottles, some baby bottles, some metal can linings. Polycarbonate can release its primary building block, Bisphenol A, another suspected hormone disruptor, into liquids and foods. In 1998, the Japanese government ordered manufacturers there to recall and destroy polycarbonate tableware meant for use by children because it contained excessive amounts of bisphenol A. If this is banned for use in Japan and even China... what the hell are we doing using it?

Be proactive on your own health and minimize your use of all plastics. And never assume it's okay to heat plastic... it is a toxic chemical and over time it will cause serious health hazards.

Nov 22, 2013Other affects
by: Canadian

I have a healthy diet and I carefully select what I ingest. I've been at a new job for the past month. We have a Keurig machine and I've been drinking about 3 or 4 coffees brewed from the machine per week day. This has been the only change to my diet in the past month.

It seems like my sleeping patterns have been greatly affected. I have also started getting weird acne, which I never had before.

I see many comments about gastrointestinal discomfort but I'd like to know if people have experienced other affects.



 
Comments from the coffeedective.com

12/08/2013

'World's First' All-in-One Coffee Machine Roasts, Grinds and Brews

 
Bonaverde
 
 
 
Serious coffee drinkers can spend a lot of time roasting, grinding and brewing a morning cup of joe, but a new gadget takes all of those processes and rolls it into one machine.
 
Bonaverde, which claims to be the world's first all-in-one coffee machine that roasts, grinds and brews, turns raw green coffee beans into fresh black coffee with a push of a button. One cycle can make as many as 12 cups of coffee, and can be customized based on roast intensities and personal preferences. From start to finish, it takes about about 12 to 14 minutes to turn raw, unroasted beans into a cup of coffee.
 
The company has 135 working prototypes now, but is looking for pre-orders to help finance it on crowdsourcing site Kickstarter. The campaign, which ends Sunday, has received more than $640,000 in backing so far. Each machine costs $300.
 
If the concept takes off, it could usher in a whole new market for farmers who would sell raw coffee beans directly to consumers. Bonaverde says the brewer system bypasses the huge commercial and bureaucratic delays that come with the coffee trade, which can take months.
 
Although coffee purists might take issue with the beans being ground so quickly after roasting, or dislike the fact that you can’t adjust temperature settings or brew time, Bonaverde promises that its coffee is more delicious than what you would get from a drip brewer.
 
 
 
Source: Mashable

11/08/2013

Black & Decker Brew N Go Coffeemaker

Hamilton Beach The Scoop Single Serve Coffee Maker

Drink That Espresso Baby!



 
 
Study Says Torrefacto-roasted Coffee Has Higher Antioxidant Properties

Excerpt:
 
The researcher also discovered that espresso machines produce a drink with the highest antioxidant capacity, more than coffee produced by the Italian, filter and pump methods. These properties may be due to the greater content of ‘brown compounds’ [compuestos pardos] developed during the roasting process, as well as to polyphenic compounds and caffeine.
 
Read the rest of the article on digitaljournal.com

How to boost your metabolism WITHOUT exercise



 

 

Have a Cup of Joe

Seems your afternoon coffee habit may do more than just keep you out of the nap zone! “Caffeine increases heart rate, breathing and metabolism,” says Lombardo. In fact, a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that the average metabolic rate of people who drank caffeinated coffee is 16 percent higher than those who drank decaf. While drinking too much caffeine can have some deleterious health effects, seems like an espresso or two might actually help you stay lithe!

To read the rest of the 16 ways you can boost your metabolism without really trying visit here -presented by ivillage.com.

20 Surprising Uses for Coffee Grounds... Please Don't Try This With K Cups LOLLLLLLLLLLL!





Instead of dumping coffee grounds into the trash, put them to work around the house. Here are 20 creative ways to use coffee grounds in your home and garden.

1. Deodorize your hands, fridge, closet or car. Put dried grounds in an old margarine tub with holes poked in the top or in a cheesecloth sachet to absorb odors. Keep grounds in a can near the sink and scrub your hands with them to get rid of fish, onion or garlic smells when cooking.

2. Repair scratches and dings in dark wood furniture. Dip a cotton swab into wet grounds and apply to the damaged area; repeated swabbing will darken the color.

3. Remove grease and grime from stain-resistant pots, pans and tools. Place a few teaspoons of the slightly abrasive grounds on a rag, scrub the object and rinse thoroughly.

4.
Contain fireplace ashes. Sprinkle damp grounds over ashes before sweeping them up to minimize the dust.

5. Make your own pin cushions
. Fill a scrap of a closely woven wool with grounds and tie off with a rubber band. The oil in the grounds keeps pins from rusting.

6. Fertilize plants.
Work coffee grounds into the soil of flower beds containing roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreen, camellias and other acid-loving plants. Bonus: the grounds can help you grow the bluest hydrangeas—increasing the acidity of the soil helps them absorb aluminum, which creates a vibrant blue bloom.

7. Tenderize meat. Add a tablespoon of fresh coffee grounds to meat marinades. Besides tenderizing, it also gives the meat a mild smokiness.

8. Dye paper, fabric and Easter eggs. A soupy mix of grounds and water will give paper an antique parchment look or color fabric or eggs brown.

9. Repel insects. Mound grounds into a ring to create a protective border around plants, or sprinkle old grounds in places you don’t want ants, slugs or snails.

10. Sharpen garbage disposal blades. With the water running, add a tablespoon of grounds to a running disposal.

11. Grow mushrooms. Put mushroom spawn in a bucket of coffee grounds.

12. Make gardeners’ soap. Add one-third cup of coffee grounds to a melted bar of glycerin soap, reshape, then use to exfoliate dirt-caked hands.

13. Build a cockroach trap. Fill a can with two inches of moistened coffee grounds, then line the can’s rim with double-sided tape. The scent will draw roaches into the trap, and the tape will keep them there.

14. Add it as a secret ingredient to recipes. A hint of coffee in chili, ice cream and chocolate cake revs up the flavor.

15. Sow with carrots. Mix fresh grounds with the tiny seeds for added bulk to make sowing easier. The coffee aroma may also repel root maggots.

16. Create rich compost. Coffee grounds add nutrients like potassium and magnesium.

17. Make your own play dough. Mix a couple of cups of dried coffee grounds with a half a cup of salt and 1 to 2 cups of cornmeal. Add in enough warm water to get the dough to the right consistency.

18. Give your pet a flea bath. After shampooing your dog or cat, rub their wet fur down thoroughly with coffee grounds, working the grounds all the way to their skin. Rinse off the coffee grounds -- and any fleas.

19. Keep bait worms alive. Mix grounds into the soil in your bait box to keep your bait worms wiggling all day long.

20. Repel cats. Spread in flower beds to keep cats from using them as litter boxes, or sprinkle around houseplants to keep cats from eating them.
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SOURCE: ivillage.com

Is the plastic used in k-cups safe?

Nov 05, 2013ceo
by: Anonymous

I think its a joke if you think the k-bomb/cup is a good idea. This is just another example of society today choosing convenience and jeopardizing health and screw the environment. The biggest joke is somebody answering questions on the concerns of these K-cups by asking green mountain coffee the company that is capitalizing on them the most. Come on people you have a brain know use it.



Sep 19, 2013Heating up plastics is a bad idea
by: Paul

They have them at my part time job.

Everyone wants convenience. It is an expensive convenience and unhealthy for the home user. Take everything in strides on what the FDA says

Its very simple - boiling hot water/ heating up of plastics of any kind IS A BAD IDEA. SAY NO

From the moment I saw these machines advertised I knew they were a bad idea, and a quick cash grab by these companies

Its expensive, and VERY ENVIRONMENTALLY UNFRIENDLY.

Its 2010's, not the 90's and early 2000's where everyone was brainwashed into buying PLASTIC KETTLES. what a horrible idea.

Its hard, but try not to buy coffee makes with plastic parts.


SOURCE:  Is the plastic used in Keurig K-Cups safe? @ coffeedective.com

9/15/2013

Coffee Powered Car Breaks Speed Record

Concocting the Perfect Cup of Coffee

Is the plastic used in Keurig K-Cups safe?

Source: coffeedetective.com

 Is the plastic used in Keurig K-Cups safe? See comments from REAL PEOPLE below...



Sep 06, 2013Real Green
by: Anonymous

French Press baby! No waste. Great taste.

Aug 21, 2013Estrogens in Keurig and k cups
by: Huntsville, Al girl

I just wanted to let other women know if you are experiencing high levels of estrogen in your body, the keurig will cause this. My husband and I purchased a keurig and we loved it. After about a month My breasts starting growing more! Seriously, I thought o.k maybe menopause. Well they grew two cup sizes! I went to see my Gyno and have my hormone levels checked. He asked me if I had changed my diet in any way the last few months. He told me some things that cause high estrogen levels. One was the keurig and the k- cups. It's the plastic that is used on the keurig. I thought to myself...that's crazy. Couldn't be...well I stopped using the keurig and within two weeks my breasts went back to their normal size. Very disappointed that I could not use the keurig anymore. I don't want huge breasts though!!! Just and FYI...

Aug 08, 2013K Cup Intolerance?
by: Anonymous
I started using K Cups and Starbucks Verissimo cups in December. I did not put the two together but that's when the non-stop sinus and flu like symptoms started. I drank 1-2 cups a day.

Through the months I experienced severe dizziness, mood changes, aching, sinus infections, blurry vision and confusion.

I have been to the doctor mostly to treat the sinus. I decided to quit using plastic cups and went back to dripping my coffee. Within 2 weeks I felt so much better and every day after that even more so.

My sinus cleared along with all the other symptoms. So then the test. I tried coffee using the K cups again and today is day 4.

I am dizzy, my sinus clogged, so fatigued and feeling crappy. I am writing this as I lay on the couch after sleeping for an hour in the middle of the day.

Could this be related? I believe so. I am going to try it again, eliminating the plastics and see what happens. I do not think this is all in my head and not a coincidence!


Jun 19, 2013Plastics 3,6, 7 = Dangerous
by: Anonymous
BPA isn't the only thing to worry about.

#3 - PVC plastics - leach endocrine disruptors (just like BPA) into food. Banned in the toy industry for this reason.

#6 - leaks styrene into food when heated, a known carcinogen.

#7 - A catch all for plastics. May or may not contain BPA - who knows?

The talk of FDA approving levels of BPA is bogus. They based the recommendations on studies provided by plastics industry back in the 1980s. The serious dangers of low level endocrine disruptor exposure only became known after that. Consumer reports thinks about 20% of the FDA recommended level is safe.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/plastic-recycling-codes-tip
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/05/concern-over-canned-foods/index.htm

6/26/2013

New York Times: $51 a pound- The deceptive cost of Single-Serve Coffee

What's not to like about single-serve coffee brewers? If you're only drinking a cup or two of coffee each day, why brew a whole pot? While the cost of the pods may win out over a daily Starbucks habit, when broken down to per pound prices, it's a little shocking just how much they cost.
The New York Times investigated popular single-serve coffee brewers and found that it was well within the norm to be paying more than $50 per pound of coffee. Of course, pods and K-Cups are sold in much smaller quantities, so the cost per cup seems low. But at those prices, you'd be saving money brewing a big pot of the most expensive coffee around and pouring out the extra joe. Oliver Strand explains:
For example, the Nespresso Arpeggio costs $5.70 for 10 espresso capsules, while the Folgers Black Silk blend for a K-Cup brewed-coffee machine is $10.69 for 12 pods. But that Nespresso capsule contains 5 grams of coffee, so it costs about $51 a pound. And the Folgers, with 8 grams per capsule, works out to more than $50 a pound.
Surprising? As more and more coffee drinkers think of their morning joe in terms of cost per cup, it's easy to overlook the real price of coffee. Are single-serve coffee machines more convenient? Absolutely, and for many the convenience outweighs the cost.
How do you feel about single-serve coffee brewers?
 
Source: thekitchn.com

Bold, Distinctive and Now Convenient?

Bold, Distinctive And Now Convenient... words that have been, in my own humble opinion, completely misused to describe K-Cups.
 
They forgot over-priced, mass produced, over hyped, and no where near in comparison to ‘The Great Cup Of Coffee’ one can make on their own if they take their time and put some effort in into it.
 
You want easy clean up, FAST, crappy coffee and don’t mind being dumbed down into paying a high price for the aforementioned...then by all means...go for it.

5/19/2013

More bad news for plastic!

Is the plastic used in Keurig K-Cups safe?

May 11, 2013fda
by: Anonymous

Approved by the FDA means nothing to me but white collar crime. They approve things that kill us everyday. Get informed!


 

Taken from The Coffee Detective


 

Go ahead buy a Keuring brewer...

Source: thekitchn
 
I bought one of those machines once. When I opened the box and read the warning on the pamphlet enclosed, I immediately returned it. It read - contains chemicals known to cause cancer. Not "could possibly cause". But known to cause. Yikes!!

Why I hate Keurig and Tassimo coffee machines

Source: 52togreen

2 Responses to Why I hate Keurig and Tassimo coffee machines

    Gavi says:
  1. I HATE these single cup brewing systems. I can’t believe anyone would buy any of these machines unless they were purposely giving the finger to the environment. It kind of makes me glad that at least they have to pay a fortune for every small cup of coffee they get out of the machine, but it’s still awful.
  2. Tony says:
    I can’t wait for the economy to tank, then all these retards are going to think twice about the cost of these mini garbage dumps. Just goes to show that nobody gives a d

5/14/2013

Proper storage of K-cup coffee





<--- This is where you store K cups to extend their shelf life...

Single Serve Coffee Brewers Make Convenience Costly

With Coffee, the Price of Individualism Can Be High

Sometimes it’s hard to tell how much coffee costs, even if you know what you spent. At least that’s the case with many of the single-serve brewing machines that are soaring in popularity.

For example, the Nespresso Arpeggio costs $5.70 for 10 espresso capsules, while the Folgers Black Silk blend for a K-Cup brewed-coffee machine is $10.69 for 12 pods. But that Nespresso capsule contains 5 grams of coffee, so it costs about $51 a pound. And the Folgers, with 8 grams per capsule, works out to more than $50 a pound.
 
That’s even more expensive than all but the priciest coffees sold by artisanal roasters, the stuff of coffee snobs.
An exclusive single-origin espresso like the Ethiopia, Gedeo Single Origin Espresso from Sightglass Coffee costs $19 for a 12-ounce bag, or about $25 a pound. La Cima beans for brewed coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, a Grand Cru selection grown at Finca el Injerto, a renowned farm in Guatemala, is $28.50 for a 12-ounce bag, or $38 a pound.
In fact, most high-end coffees cost less than $20 a pound, and the coffees you find on supermarket shelves are substantially cheaper. A bag of Dark Espresso Roast beans at Starbucks is $12.95 a pound, and a bag of Eight O’Clock beans for brewed coffee at the Food Emporium is $10.72 a pound. 
How much of that coffee goes into a cup varies according to who (or what) controls the machine. For instance, a Lavazza Gran Crema espresso capsule has 7 grams of coffee, the standard for most chain coffee stores. But independent coffee shops regularly pack 14 to 22 grams into an espresso shot.
      
When it comes to single-serve systems, you’re not just paying for coffee, you’re paying for convenience and the technology that makes it possible to brew a single cup in seconds. Pop in the pod, push the button: it’s a sure thing every time. Supermarkets and specialty stores are filled with items that make it easier on you, and it’s up to the shopper to determine if it’s worth it.
 
Some decisions are easy (rendered pork fat, fresh pasta); others are a toss-up depending on who’s in the kitchen (chicken stock, salad dressing). Where single-serve coffee falls on that spectrum depends on whether you regard coffee as something you make or something you drink.
 
“Americans under the age of 40 are thinking about coffee pricing in cups,” said Ric Rhinehart, executive director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America. “If you asked my mother how much coffee cost, she would have told you that the red can was $5.25 a pound and the blue can was $4.25. If you ask people in their 20s and 30s, they’ll say coffee is $1.75 to $3.75 a cup.”
 
This generational shift helps explain why single-serve coffee is the fastest-growing sector of the home market. According to a study from the National Coffee Association, single-serve coffee is now the second most popular method of preparation after conventional drip brewers, by far the dominant method. In 2011, 7 percent of the cups of coffee consumed in the United States were made with a single-serve brewer, up from 4 percent in 2010.
 
The premium that single-serve coffee commands makes it especially lucrative. Julian Liew, a spokesman for Nespresso, said single-serve coffee is 8 percent of the global market, but accounts for 25 percent of its value. It’s likely that the number will continue to climb.
 
According to Keurig, 4 million of the company’s K-Cup brewers, for regular drip coffee, were sold in the 13-week run-up to Christmas 2011. During that same period, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters sold more than $715 million in K-Cup packs. The pods and brewers are now front and center at stores like Bed Bath & Beyond and Staples. Keurig licenses its technology to other companies, and last year, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks started making K-Cup pods. Keurig even sells a refillable filter that you can pack with your own coffee.
 
Nespresso has sold more than 27 billion capsules worldwide since it was introduced in 1986. Later this year Ethical Coffee Company plans to sell Nespresso-compatible capsules for around 20 percent less on Amazon.com. So the United States might see something novel for single-serve coffee: a price war.

Source: NY Times

Twisted Sister Coffee Shop? Not If The Band Twisted Sister Has Any thing To Say About It

Twisted Sister's legal threats over coffee shop's URL


A tiny coffee shop In Kansas called Twisted Sisters has been served with legal papers by lawyers for the rock band of a similar name. Oh, yes, they're claiming trademark.

Are they going to take it? Are they going to take it? Are they going to take it anymore?
These are the fundamental questions surrounding a legal threat presented by a lawyer for Twister Sister's founder, John Jay French, to a tiny coffee shop in Mission, Kan.

The coffee shop is called Twister Sisters. It is run by two sisters. They are twisted. Actually, as The Prairie Village Post reports, Sandi Russell and her sister Nancy Hansen were first called "twisted" by their brother in the 1960s.

The 1960s came before 1973, the year when the band Twisted Sister was formed.
But power is interested in power, rather than truth.

As Techdirt reports, the band's main concern seems to involve a URL the coffee shop obtained: Twistersisterscoffeeshop.com. This is currently labeled as being "under construction," which suggests the legal pressure is already succeeding.

Indeed, Russell told the Post that she will probably have no choice but to change the name. Everyone would expect, after all, a snarly rock band to have a coffee shop in Mission, Kan.
It's odd that the band is claiming trademark infringement, as its own trademark (1098366) seems merely to cover "entertainment services rendered by a vocal and instrumental group."

One would be pressed to consider a homey little coffee shop as providing the sort of entertainment services one could expect from a group. Though perhaps there are some after-hours parties of which I am unaware.

Oddly, the Twisted Sisters Coffee Shop's Facebook page seems to show no evidence of this curious dispute.


Read rest of the article here at CNET

Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?

Has ANYONE ever heard, read of, or seen a K-Cup that was tested by a Professional Cupper?
 
I didn’t think so...

 

 

After Getting Slammed, Keurig Promises To Find Recyclable Versions Of K-Cups

After Getting Slammed, Keurig Promises To Find Recyclable Versions Of K-Cups
By Ben PopkenOctober 14, 2011
 
 
Keurig’s single-use coffee pods might be convenient, but they can’t be recycled. Clean Water Action is calling on them to clean up their act, and Keurig has promised to try really hard.
“Our concern is that they are not recyclable,” Cindy Luppi of Clean Water Action told CBSDFW. “That means they end up in the landfills and incinerators, and impact our health. The emissions end up in the air we breathe and the water we drink.”
Following the criticism, Keurig posted a pledge on its website to really give it the old college try:
Reducing the environmental impact of our packaging materials and brewing systems is a top priority for Keurig. It is a challenge to create a portion pack that is recyclable and delivers an extraordinary cup of coffee; however, Keurig is actively working to meet this challenge head on.

The K-Cup® package is made up of three main elements — the cup itself, a filter and an aluminum foil top. The polyethylene coating of the foil – as well as the process of heat-sealing the various elements – makes recycling difficult.
The portion pack composition prevents oxygen, light and moisture from degrading the coffee. Without the barrier the packaging materials provide, we could not maintain quality or freshness.
The company’s statement suggests that if you want fresh pod coffee, you’re going to have to put up with special un-recyclable materials for now. You could also get your beans ground and use a french press and not have to worry about creating waste that can’t be recycled.
 

4/03/2013

Where coffee is grown best


 
 








Coffee plants are­ evergreen tropical shrubs and small trees, and they grow best between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn (often referred to in the coffee world as the Bean Belt) ­which mak­es sense because the plants enjoy lots of rain and gentle temperatures.
 
courtesy of howstuffworks.com

Any veterans out there... read this!



 
 









Remember Vietnam? 
 
Remember the propaganda? 
 
 “If South Vietnam falls, all of South East Asia will follow.”
 
Well, South Vietnam is the SECOND largest coffee producer in the world!
 
So much for "falling" eh?

3/26/2013

The Deceptive Cost of Single Serve Coffee






What's not to like about single-serve coffee brewers? If you're only drinking a cup or two of coffee each day, why brew a whole pot? While the cost of the pods may win out over a daily Starbucks habit, when broken down to per pound prices, it's a little shocking just how much they cost.

The New York Times investigated popular single-serve coffee brewers and found that it was well within the norm to be paying more than $50 per pound of coffee. Of course, pods and K-Cups are sold in much smaller quantities, so the cost per cup seems low. But at those prices, you'd be saving money brewing a big pot of the most expensive coffee around and pouring out the extra joe. Oliver Strand explains:
For example, the Nespresso Arpeggio costs $5.70 for 10 espresso capsules, while the Folgers Black Silk blend for a K-Cup brewed-coffee machine is $10.69 for 12 pods. But that Nespresso capsule contains 5 grams of coffee, so it costs about $51 a pound. And the Folgers, with 8 grams per capsule, works out to more than $50 a pound.
Surprising? As more and more coffee drinkers think of their morning joe in terms of cost per cup, it's easy to overlook the real price of coffee. Are single-serve coffee machines more convenient? Absolutely, and for many the convenience outweighs the cost.

Source: thekitchn.com


See also:
Single Serve Coffee Brewers Make Convenience Costly (NY Times)
K-cups and Coffee Pod Systems: Love Them or No Thanks? (kitchn.com)


K-cup coffee music

Life is to short to have bad coffee.

If you’re drinking K-Cups enjoy YOUR special song!
 
 

 

3/25/2013

Can Green Tea, Coffee Reduce Stroke Risk?

Many people take coffee or tea breaks throughout the day, and that simple act may help them reduce their risk for stroke, Japanese researchers report.
This study of about 83,000 people suggests that drinking green tea or coffee daily might lower stroke risk by about 20 percent, with even more protection against a specific type of stroke.

"The regular action of daily drinking [of] green tea and coffee is a benefit in preventing stroke," said lead researcher Dr. Yoshihiro Kokubo, chief doctor in the department of preventive cardiology at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, in Osaka.

"If you cannot readily improve your lifestyle, try to prevent stroke by drinking green tea every day," he said.

Although it isn't certain why coffee and tea may have this effect, Kokubo thinks it might be due to certain properties in these drinks that keep blood from clotting.

In addition, green tea contains catechins, which have an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effect. Some chemicals in coffee, such as chlorogenic acid, may cut the risk of stroke by lowering the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, he explained.

Coffee also contains caffeine, which may have an impact on cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and may cause changes in insulin sensitivity, which affects blood sugar, he added.

One expert, Dr. Ralph Sacco, past president of the American Heart Association, cautioned that this type of study cannot say for sure that the lower risk of stroke is really the result of drinking coffee or tea.

"Such association studies are still limited in [the] ability to tell whether it is some ingredients in the coffee or tea or some other behavior common to coffee and tea drinkers that is driving the protective effects," said Sacco, chairman of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

"There have been other studies, however, that have suggested some beneficial effects of coffee and tea on brain health, so the evidence is accumulating that there are some important simple dietary ways we can improve our health," Sacco said.

The report was published online March 14 in the journal Stroke.

For the study, Kokubo's team collected data on roughly 83,000 men and women, 45 to 74 years old, asking about how much green tea and coffee they drank.

Over the course of the study, the researchers kept track of hospital records, death certificates and data about deaths from heart disease and stroke.

During an average of 13 years of follow-up, they found that those who had at least one cup of coffee a day lowered their risk for stroke about 20 percent.

And, compared to people who rarely drank green tea, people who drank two to three cups a day had a 14 percent lower risk of stroke and people who drank at least four cups lowered their risk by 20 percent.

The risk for a type of stroke called a hemorrhagic stroke, in which a blood vessel in the brain bursts and blood floods part of the brain, was cut by 32 percent among those who drank a cup of coffee or two cups of green tea daily. About 13 percent of strokes are hemorrhagic strokes, the researchers noted.

To be sure their findings related to coffee and tea, Kokubo's group took into account factors such as age, sex, smoking, alcohol, weight, diet and exercise. People who drank green tea were more likely to exercise compared to non-drinkers, they noted.

From: lifelonghealth.com

1/09/2013

Cool Coffee Facts

Did you know...
 
 
- It takes five years for a coffee tree to reach maturity. The average yield from one tree is the equivalent of one roasted pound of coffee.
- Coffee cherries usually contain two “beans”, except for the single bean peaberry anomaly. Cherries with three beans are deemed to be a sign of good luck.
 
- There are two types of oils in coffee, good oils and bad oils. The good oils are good for your body and your health, the bad oils are what give you ulcers and stomach problems. To avoid the bad oils in coffee simply use paper filters to minimize the effects.
 
- In Africa coffee beans are soaked in water mixed with spices and served as candy to chew.
 
- There are 65 countries in the world that grow coffee and they are all along the equator.
 
- Coffee in the United States is only grown in Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
 
- Espresso Coffee has just one third of the caffeine content of a cup of regular coffee.
 
- Instant coffee was invented in 1901 by a Japanese American chemist known as Satori Kato. Later in 1906 a more known English chemist known as George Constant Washington claimed he invented instant coffee.
 
- Robusta coffee beans have twice as much caffeine than Arabica beans, but are of less quality.
 
- Coffee sacks are usually made of hemp and weigh approximately 132 pounds when they are full of green coffee beans. It takes over 600,000 beans to fill a coffee sack.

Keurig uses No. 6 plastic ... bravo!

These comments regarding Keurig brewers at coffeedetective  will just increase over time.... so sad, but true!
 
Do yourself a favor and STOP drinking k-cup coffee, NOW!
 
 
 
Dec 27, 2012Keurig #6 water reservoir
by: Anonymous

I received a Keurig as a Christmas gift. After cleaning and following all the set up directions I started the machine. I immediately noticed a plastic smell as I was running the brew cycle of just plain water. After several rinse cycles I still noticed the smell in the air. I smelled the cup of water and it had a very stong plastic odor. I decided to look at the reservoir and noticed it is labeled #6. I cant believe that they make a machine with such a dangerous plastic. Needless to say, its going back!