Coffee Talk

As I was sipping my coffee the other day, I decided to do a little research on this beverage so many of us rely on every day.  Here are a few things I found interesting:

• A 2011 study showed that women who drink 2 to 3 cups of caffeinated coffee a day were 15% less likely to develop depression than those who drank one cup or less per week. 
• It used to be a custom in Turkey that if a husband did not provide his wife with coffee, it was grounds for divorce.
• Coffee contains antioxidants, which helps prevent free radicals from damaging cells.
• New York drinks about 7 times as much coffee as the rest of the world.
• People who drink a moderate amount of coffee are less likely to develop Alzheimer's and dementia in old age.
• Legend has it coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian shepherd who noticed his goats acting excited and dancing around after eating coffee beans. (this makes me laugh)
• The term "cup of Joe" comes from American soldiers in WWII (known as G.I. Joes) drinking large amounts of coffee.

Make your coffee healthier:

• Instead of high fat cream, use 1% or skim milk
• If you sweeten it, use a natural raw sugar and try and limit it to 2 packets
• Flavored syrups, whipped cream- while delicious, they are high in fat and sugar.  If there is a sugar free option for the syrup, try that instead.

References: 

"Caffeine Blast." Live Science. September 29, 2011.

The Harvard Crimson, "Coffee Can Help Women Avoid Depression", September 29, 2011.