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Started by Imperator; Last updated Feb 26, 08 11:52 PM CST by K Schwartz | View history

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Caffeine Conundrum

"Ah! How sweet coffee tastes! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter far than muscatel wine!" -JS Bach

What's better for you: decaf or regular? Scientists have long celebrated coffee's purported ability to stall memory loss and fight cancers, but new studies suggest that caffeine is harmful and worth avoiding for pregnant women and diabetics. To drink, or not to drink? That is the question.

Stories

Stories 1 - 20 of 27

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  • July 2008

    • Cup of Joe Getting Smaller

      newser  |  Chicago Tribune  |  Jul 9, 08 3:18 PM CDT

      Cup of Joe Getting Smaller

      One purveyor of fine coffee is drawing a line in the sand: Come Aug. 1, Chicago brewer and distributor Intelligentsia will phase out its 20-ounce option—or venti, per Starbucks lingo, the Chicago Tribune reports. Brewing such a large cup dilutes the proportions necessary for maximum flavor, Intelligentsia's CEO says, resulting in a "a watered-down, Big Gulpish version.” More »

    • Guzzle Coffee, Prevent Multiple Sclerosis?

      newser  |  Daily Telegraph (UK)  |  Jul 1, 08 10:44 AM CDT

      Guzzle Coffee, Prevent Multiple Sclerosis?

      For preventing the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis, caffeine might be just what the doctor ordered, the Daily Telegraph reports. In a study involving what must have been some very jittery mice, researchers found that the equivalent of 6-8 cups of coffee per day conferred protection from the rodent equivalent of MS. Don't rush off to Starbucks yet, though. More »

  • June 2008

    • Coffee May Cut Heart Attacks

      newser  |  Reuters  |  Jun 17, 08 6:35 AM CDT

      Coffee May Cut Heart Attacks

      Regular coffee drinking has been linked to a reduced risk of fatal heart attacks, according to a new study of the health effects of coffee. Women who regularly drank three cups of coffee a day had a 25 percent lower risk of death from heart disease than women who didn't drink coffee. Some studies have found that coffee is a source of antioxidants, which may protect people from heart disease. More »

    • Coffee's Smell Alone Can Perk You Up

      newser  |  LiveScience  |  Jun 16, 08 1:19 PM CDT

      Coffee's Smell Alone Can Perk You Up

      The aroma of coffee is enough to wake you up, a new study shows. Smelling coffee stimulated the expression of genes known to reverse the damaging effect of stress and sleep deprivation in test animals’ brains, international researchers tell LiveScience. Coffee’s stimulating effects have been known for ages, but are usually attributed to its caffeine kick. More »

  • May 2008

    • Starbucks Banks on New Hardware

      newser  |  Seattle Post-Intelligencer  |  May 30, 08 4:59 PM CDT

      Starbucks Banks on New Hardware

      With the grounds of a sour economy sticking between shareholders' teeth, Starbucks is looking to a new espresso machine to perk profits back up, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. "What this machine is about is whether Starbucks can get its virginity back," one observer says of the semi-automatic Mastrena, which brewed its first shot in New York today. How the Mastrena might help: More »

    • Coffee, Tea Not Seen to Boost Breast Cancer Risk

      newser  |  Reuters  |  May 27, 08 12:27 PM CDT

      Coffee, Tea Not Seen to Boost Breast Cancer Risk

      Coffee and tea don't elevate risk of breast cancer, researchers report after a 22-year study involving nearly 86,000 women. Those who drank four cups of coffee or tea—caffeinated or decaf—a day had the same incidence as those who drank a cup or less. "Coffee and tea are remarkably safe beverages when used in moderation," one scientist tells Reuters. More »

    • San Francisco Coffee Scene Heats Up

      newser  |  San Francisco Chronicle  |  May 16, 08 6:10 PM CDT

      San Francisco Coffee Scene Heats Up

      Plans for tapping the premium coffee market are percolating in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Chronicle reports in an in-depth look at the new generation of roasters. Emphasizing freshness and preparation, next-gen roasters are building Northwest-inspired businesses that offer patrons ground-to-order $8 cups, or $9-$11 pots prepared by a $20,000 halogen-powered siphon from Japan. More »

    • 'Slutbucks'? Coffee Logo Spurs Protest

      newser  |  Mother Jones  |  May 10, 08 7:29 AM CDT

      'Slutbucks'? Coffee Logo Spurs Protest

      Starbucks' fiscal woes are well-documented, and, Mother Jones blogger Jen Phillips writes, a boycott by a Christian group could be next, over the reintroduction of its original logo, which features a nearly bare-breasted sea siren. "The Starbucks logo has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute," says Mark Dice, the group's rep. "The company might as well call themselves Slutbucks." More »

    • Small-Town Coffee Purveyor Goes Grande

      newser  |  Barre-Montpelier Times Argus  |  May 9, 08 9:00 PM CDT

      Small-Town Coffee Purveyor Goes Grande

      A success story is brewing in tiny-town Vermont, where a coffee roaster is supplying beans to 600 McDonald's restaurants across 50 states and 25 countries. The creator of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Bob Stiller, never imagined such a feat—nor the $121 million in sales last quarter—when he started the business in 1981. "This vision of today was not in his mind," Green Mountain exec Jon Wettstein said. More »

  • April 2008

    • Starbucks Goes Decaf on Earnings Outlook

      newser  |  Wall Street Journal  |  Apr 23, 08 7:05 PM CDT

      Starbucks Goes Decaf on Earnings Outlook

      The slumping US economy means Starbucks' quarterly profits won't meet estimates when figures are released April 30, the coffee giant said today. Analysts expected earnings of 21 cents per share for the quarter ended March 30; Starbucks expects 15 cents, the Wall Street Journal reports. It now predicts yearly sales to be lower than last year's 87 cents per share; Starbucks' January forecast had called for 96-98 cents. More »

    • A Coffee a Day May Keep Dementia Away: Study

      newser  |  BBC  |  Apr 3, 08 4:52 AM CDT

      A Coffee a Day May Keep Dementia Away: Study

      A daily fix of caffeine helps shield the brain from the damaging effects of cholesterol, which is apparently the way coffee helps reduce the risk of dementia, new research suggests. The "blood-brain barrier" protects the brain from toxins in the bloodstream, but scientists have discovered that cholesterol makes it leaky. The strength of the barrier was boosted in rabbits given the caffeine equivalent of a daily cup of joe, reports the BBC. More »

  • March 2008

    • Starbucks Rolls Out Customer-Focused Changes

      newser  |  Wall Street Journal  |  Mar 19, 08 2:46 PM CDT

      Starbucks Rolls Out Customer-Focused Changes

      A customer-loyalty card, a new website and upgraded brewing machines highlighted changes in store at Starbucks, the Wall Street Journal reports, with CEO Howard Schultz using today's annual meeting to re-focus the firm on quality of customer experience. The card will offer rewards for regulars at the coffee giant, which aims for a social-networking flavor with its new internet presence. More »

    • Why Fork Over $11,000 for a Coffee Machine?

      newser  |  Slate  |  Mar 13, 08 7:18 PM CDT

      Why Fork Over $11,000 for a Coffee Machine?

      A cup of coffee brewed with 16 ounces of water at 203 degrees for 44 seconds? Coming right up. The brouhaha over the $11,000 Clover 1s—the ultra-high-tech machine that brews one cup at a time—makes sense, Paul Adams writes in Slate. After two hours test-driving the built-to-order machine, which regulates temperature, water, and brew time with staggering precision, he considers himself “a Clover addict.” More »

  • February 2008

    • Mickey D's Risks Big in Java War

      newser  |  Chicago Tribune  |  Feb 24, 08 5:58 AM CST

      Mickey D's Risks Big in Java War

      McDonald’s may have Egg McMuffin on its face if it can't out-grind Starbucks with a new line of premium coffees, the Chicago Tribune reports. The new coffee rollout, threatened by a shaky economy, marks one of the company’s riskiest launches ever, according to analysts. As food and labor costs rise, McDonald’s is asking franchises to invest up to $100,000 per store in java equipment. More »

  • January 2008

    • Caffeine May Worsen Diabetes

      newser  |  Reuters  |  Jan 28, 08 4:53 PM CST

      Caffeine May Worsen Diabetes

      Diabetics may want to consider kicking the coffee habit after a new study showed caffeine consumption increased blood sugar levels, Reuters reports. Type 2 diabetics given caffeine pills equivalent to four cups of coffee experienced an 8% rise in average blood glucose levels relative to days when they were given placebo pills, Duke University researchers say. More »

    • The Coffee Conundrum Revisited

      Toronto Star (Canada)  |  Jan 26, 08

      Confusing messages are nothing new when it comes to what you should not do during pregnancy, so here's another one: A growing body of evidence suggests that high caffeine consumption - on the order of more than two or three cups of coffee a day - increases the odds of miscarriage, while low to moderate caffeine consumption doesn't pose a significant risk.

    • Coffee May Lower Risk of Ovarian Cancer

      newser  |  Reuters  |  Jan 22, 08 11:27 AM CST

      Coffee May Lower Risk of Ovarian Cancer

      One day after the release of a study linking caffeine and miscarriages, female coffee addicts got some good news today: Caffeine appears to lower the risk of developing ovarian cancer, a new study shows. What's more, the benefit appears to increase with the amount of caffeine consumed. The risk is lowest for women who have never taken oral contraceptives or postmenopausal hormones, reports Reuters. More »

    • Caffeine May Double Miscarriage Risk: Study

      newser  |  New York Times  |  Jan 21, 08 9:28 AM CST

      Caffeine May Double Miscarriage Risk: Study

      Pregnant women who drink two cups of coffee a day may double their risk of miscarriage,  a new study concludes. Almost one-quarter of women in the study who consumed 200 milligrams of caffeine a day—the amount in 10 ounces of coffee or 25 ounces of tea—miscarried, reports the New York Times. More »

    • How Much Caffeine Is Safe During Pregnancy?

      Boston Globe  |  Jan 21, 08

      Confusing messages are nothing new when it comes to what you should notdo during pregnancy, so here's another one: A growing body of evidence suggests that high caffeine consumption - on the order of more than two or three cups of coffee a day - increases the odds of miscarriage, while low to moderate caffeine consumption doesn't pose a significant risk.

  • September 2007

    • 6 Ways to Avoid Yellow Teeth

      newser  |  Newsweek  |  Sep 25, 07 11:31 AM CDT

      6 Ways to Avoid Yellow Teeth

      Nothing ruins a smile more then a set of filmy yellow teeth. Newsweek says you can keep your set sparkling by avoiding these habits: Constant coffee or tea sipping—stains teeth. Frequent snacking on sweets—increases the decay-causing bacteria in your mouth. Not drinking water after a meal—water washes away bacteria. More »

Stories 1 - 20 of 27

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  (Index Stock (http://www.indexstock.com))
  (Peet's Coffee)
Starbucks   (Getty Images)
Billones y billones   ((c) Daquella manera)
The mechanism behind coffee's cancer prevention is still undiscovered, but may be due to caffeine of anti-oxidant properties.   (Shutterstock.com)
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Background

caffeine
A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition

caffeine An alkaloid (chemically trimethylxanthine) found in coffee and tea (when it is sometimes called theine). It raises blood pressure, stimulates the kidneys, and temporarily averts fatigue and tiredness, so has a stimulant action. It can also be a cause of insomnia in some people, and ...

» Read more about caffeine at Encyclopedia.com

coffee
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

coffee a tree, its seeds, and the beverage made from them. The coffee tree, a small evergreen of the genus Coffea, has smooth, ovate leaves and clusters of fragrant white flowers that mature into deep red fruits about 1/2 in. (1.27 cm) long. The fruit usually contains two seeds, the coffee ...

» Read more about coffee at Encyclopedia.com

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