Whilst there has been plenty of research done over the years on drinking coffee and its effects on our well being, the subject and the arguments continue, as to how much caffeine is good for your health and whether you should limit your caffeine intake.

The BBC report on Coffee addition quotes;

Caffeine is, according to New Scientist, the planet’s most popular “psychoactive drug.” In the United States alone, more than 90% of adults are estimated to use it every day.

So we all know we all drink a lot of caffeine every day, lets face it many of us need that caffeine boost to kick start our day! But for those of use who dont drink it in moderation should we have anything to worry about?

The BBC report looks at the subject from both sides but it does yet again raise concerns about how much coffee we all drink.

However; on the positive side it also refers to evidence that coffee is full of Antioxidants  that have been shown to help prevent cancers and help stop depression especially in women, who drink a couple of cups of coffee a day. It is also suggested that caffeine may help lower type two diabetes, but this is still being investigated.

On the negative side concerns have been expressed by experts on whether a high caffeine intake has any effect on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Caffeine can be found in many popular beverages not just coffee! Tea also contains a high level about half the average amount found in coffee and soft drinks such as Coca Cola, Pepsi and high energy drinks like Red Bull also contain varying levels of caffeine.

The FDA is promising to “determine what is a safe level” and hopefully will let us all know as soon as possible.

The sooner they can investigate the true effects of caffeine on our health the better for all us coffee lovers everywhere!

Coffee production in Rwanda was originally developed by the Belgium Colonial administration during the 1930′s and was introduced to make use of the cheap labor and generate revenue from the taxes on exports. Whilst the original plantations produced a somewhat inferior coffee a decision to invest and target the upper end of the market a decade ago really seems to be paying off.

Areas of the Lake Kivu region of Rwanda have a near perfect climate for growing Arabica, having a well irrigated rich volcanic soil, which produces a high quality coffee with a distinctive fruity flavor. Many of the coffee farms can be found the the hilly mountain slopes and many of the best produce coffee for the organic consumers.

Rwanda coffee is growing in popularity, which the rise so far this year demonstrates and with exports predicted to hit 26000 metric tons this year that’s got to be good news for lovers of Rwanda Arabica even though prices have been on the increase too!

Guatemala has been particularly badly effected by this fungus with over three quarters of its coffee production effected so far. Current attempts to stop the speed using fungicides have had limited success so far and concern in the region is growing.

With such large area’s being affected this is having a massive effect on employment with many tens of thousands of people, who rely on coffee production now out of work. Unfortunately even if a cure was found tomorrow it takes three years for a coffee tree to mature and bare fruit.

The leaf fungus or coffee rust, which first hit Central American coffee crops in the mid 2000′s and was initially controlled has now grown stronger and more tolerant to treatment, attacks the plants leafs causing them to to turn brown and shrivel and die. The cause has been attributed to climate change in the area, blamed on global warming.

Whilst we have been enjoying the lowest coffee prices for many years recently, this will certainly have an effect on the cost of coffee futures going forward, if this is not brought under control soon.

Ambitious plans by the government aim to boost production and increase productivity, with the main area of the central highlands of Vietnam set to see the largest investment. This may be good news for some people in that it brings employment into the region, but not so for many of the indigenous locals, who’s lives will be disrupted by the expansion of the coffee plantations.

The big rise in production and exports particularly of the Robusta beans is blamed by many producing countries for the fall in coffee prices worldwide over resent years, good news for the consumer but not so good for producers and governments who rely of coffee revenues.

The continued expansion of coffee production in Vietnam is not only spurred on by the growth in coffee exports, which may well have something to do with the current world economic climate and the popularity increase of coffee in emerging nations, but also the demand for coffee from the increasingly developing domestic market.

There has also been a sizable increase in Arabica production in Vietnam since 2009 this has almost doubled. With the Arabica bean achieving almost double the price of the Robusta it is an obvious attraction for Vietnamese coffee farmers, although a substantial increase in Brazilian coffee production in the last year may stem this growth.

The announcement by Reuter’s News Agency that Starbucks and other leading brands are planning to cut the price of coffee is good news for coffee lovers. In fact the futures markets are showing reductions of over 55% for Arabica coffee down from a 34 year high of $3.00 per pound to $1.3405. However; it does look like some recovery in the price of coffee will occur going forward, so it might be a good time to stock up!

This is expected to result in as much as a $1.00 off a 12 ounce packet of the higher end products such as Starbucks and Seattle’s Best brands next month according to the coffee report, but only in supermarkets not via Starbucks own outlets.

Unfortunately it would take a lot more research and many millions of dollars to confirm that this in fact the case on a larger scale and then for it to be developed into a commercial product. Is this likely to ever happen is the big question? Which is a shame for the many millions of Type 2 diabetes sufferers around the world who would benefit, again it comes down to priorities and potential profits above the health of individuals.

If you’re interested in reading more on this article you can find the link to the UN News website and Maureen Salamon report here

Marketed under the Nescafe brand in most countries, Nestle is a major player in the coffee market and if this latest move helps keep the cost of quality coffee in check or even reduce costs long term its great news for coffee lovers everywhere!!

At Sound Grounds Coffee too, very few of us even considered there was a issue in bringing even an organically produced coffee to the table that is until we read this article in The Economist on “Genetic engineering may clean up the processing of coffee” and really sat down and thought about it!

Having taken the time to investigate it appears our favorite drink, whilst giving us an often much needed kick can also if not disposed of in the right way give an adverse kick to nature!

Hopefully scientists will find an effective and green way of dealing with coffee waste but this just goes to show that everything we do and enjoy can potentially have an effect on the environment in which we live.

Is producing genetically modified bacteria the real answer or does nature have its own way with dealing this the problems of coffee waste maybe only time will which is the best solution.

Enjoying healthy coffee beans and equally an healthy lifestyle is important for us all the question following this post is can we control what we create!?

The Wonderful  Taste!

The majority of espresso drinkers simply love it because it has so much more flavour than cappuccino or regular coffee. It is thicker and is high in caffeine making it a lot more tasteful than other coffee drinks. Many people also enjoy the crema or foam that sits on the top of an espresso and some will often sprinkle a little cinnamon or other sweet herb on top for extra taste!

The Variety of Espresso’s!

If you’ve never drank espresso before or even if you have, you may not be aware that there are over 20 different types of espresso available around the world. Some of the more well-known varieties are Affogato, Alexandrino, Americano, Breve and Café Bonbon to name just a few of them. Perhaps the number of variations is another reason espresso is so popular. Just to give you a short explanation and a flavour for a couple, Affogato is typically severed over gelato, which is similar to ice cream, usually with a vanilla flavouring.  Alexandrino is another variation of espresso which is served topped with a layer of condensed milk, and a fresh cinnamon stick or two to add even more flavour to the drink!

What are Espresso Shots!

One serving of espresso is known as an espresso shot and is typically about one ounce in size. Espresso contains considerably more caffeine than regular coffee and so 2-3 shorts is usually more than enough to kick start your day or give you an extra boost in the evening, although not an ideal drink to have just before bedtime!

Hopefully we have given you a flavour as to why espresso is so popular and why it has been so for centuries, maybe next time you’re in a coffee house you may just be tempted to try one for yourself.

Read more about coffee and the benefits of green coffee bean extract in dieting at: http://www.healthygreencoffeebeanextract.com/