Due to the recent news of Angelina Jolie undergoing a preventative double mastectomy after learning that she carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene (which sharply increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer), I think its important to share some new research regarding breast cancer and caffeine.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers.  About 1 in 8 women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for breast cancer in the US are for 2013:

• About 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.
• About 64,640 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).
• About 39,620 women will die from breast cancer.

Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since 1989, with larger decrease in women younger than 50.  These decreases believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment.

At this time there are more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors in the US.  These numbers include women being treated and those who have completed treatment.

Recently researchers have found that after breast cancer diagnosis, daily coffee consumption may reduce the risk of developing it again.  They believe that coffee enhances Tamoxifen’s ability to prevent estrogen-fed cancer from growing.

Tamoxifen is a drug used to treat breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, to treat breast cancer in certain patients after surgery and radiation therapy, and to reduce the chances of breast cancer in high-risk patients.

According to WebMD, “This medication can block the growth of breast cancer.  It works by interfering with the effects of estrogen in the breast tissue.”

Breastcancer.org states the following statistics about what Tamoxifen can do:

• Reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back by 40-50% in postmenopausal women and by 30-50% in premenopausal women.
• Reduce the risk of a new cancer developing in the other breast by 50%.
• Shrink large, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers before surgery.
• Slow or stop the growth or advanced (metastatic) hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in both pre- and postmenopausal women.
• Lower breast cancer risk in women who have high than average risk of disease but have not been diagnosed.

The Lund University in Sweden has found that drinking coffee can decrease the risk of breast cancer recurring in patients taking Tamoxifen.  It was reported that patients who took the pill, along with two or more cups of coffee a day, had a 50% lower risk of cancer recurrence, compared to those who did not drink coffee while taking Tamoxifen.

“One theory we are working with is that coffee ‘activates’ Tamoxifen and makes it more efficient,” says Maria Simonsson, doctoral student in Oncology at Lund University.

In another study, it was found that drinking coffee daily reduces the risk of anti-estrogen-resistant estrogen-receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer.  This research was published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Breast Cancer Research.

Hormone-receptor-negative breast cancers are cancers that do have receptors for the hormones estrogen or progesterone.  Hormone-receptor-negative breast cancers are less common than hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers and tend to be more aggressive.

While it is evident that coffee may have beneficial effects in protecting women from ER-negative breast cancer, the exact mechanism and compounds involved are not yet clear and not all types of coffee are the same.

Healthandcoffee.org lists the following facts about coffee and breast cancer:

• In premenopausal women, the consumption of regular coffee (4 cups a day) has been associated with a 38% lower risk of breast cancer.
• In premenopausal women at high risk because they carry the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation, the risk for breast cancer is reduced by 25-70% with daily consumption of 4-6 cups of coffee compared to non-coffee drinkers.
• The risk of breast cancer is also modulated by the CYP1A2 gene and the interaction between coffee consumption and the polymorphisms A and C of this gene.  Women carrying at least one C allele (AC or CC), who consume coffee, have a 64% reduced risk compared to non-coffee drinkers.

The latest observational study involving coffee’s role in cancer prevention and treatment underlines the need for more research, according to Lund Unversity.

All of the above research shows how beneficial coffee can be if added to one’s diet, however, remember everything in moderation. It is also important to note what you are putting in your coffee.

“By adding high-calorie creamers and heaping spoonfuls of sugar, calories quickly add up making it a less healthy beverage choice,” stated Lauren Regina, Clinical Oncology Nutritionist at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

Ashley

According to the American Brain Tumor Association, primary brain tumors occur at a rate of 12.8 per 100,000 people.  Although people of any age can develop a brain tumor, the problem seems to be most common in children ages 3 to 12 and in adults ages 40 to 70.

A recent US study showed that total coffee and tea consumption was inversely associated with risk of glioma, and experimental studies showed that caffeine can slow the invasive growth of glioblastoma.

Glioma is a broad category of brain and spinal cord tumors that come from glial cells, the main brain cells that can develop into tumors.

The symptoms, prognosis, and treatment of a malignant glioma depend on the person’s age, the exact type of tumor, and the location of the tumor within the brain.  These tumors tend to grow and infiltrate into the normal brain tissue, which makes surgical removal very difficult and complicates treatment.

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) examined the relation between coffee and tea intake and the risk of glioma and meninglioma in a large European group study.

The study included more than 410,000 men and women between the ages of 25 and 70 from France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany.  The participants were recruited between 1991 and 2000.  During this time they were told to keep track of the amount of tea and coffee that they consumed.

The research team discovered that drinking 100 milliliters (mL) or 0.4 cups per day and above lowered the risk of gliomas by 34%.  The association was slightly stronger in men than in women.

Dr. John S. Yu, director of the Brain Tumor Center of Excellence at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, described this study as “striking.”  He goes on to say, “If we had a drug for any disease that could demonstrate a risk reduction of 34% that would be considered a great drug.  That degree of risk reduction is very strong.”

Dr. Jonathan Friedman, director of the Texas Brain and Spine Institute at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in Bryan, agrees with Yu that these findings are “surprising”.

Friedman exclaims, “However, the mechanism by which coffee is protective is completely unknown.  While the caffeine itself might be important, some of the other common components of coffee or tea might also be relevant, such as natural antioxidants.”

Another study showed that caffeine could slow the invasive growth of glioblastoma in various vitro assays by inhibiting inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate receptor subtype 3-mediated calcium release.

Calcium signaling is very important in many signaling processes in cancer cell proliferation and motility.  An important consequence of the intracellular signaling is an increase in intracellular calcium concentration, which is well known to be a critical signal for gene expression motility, differentiation, and survival.

Caffeine, a well-known activator of ryanodine receptor (RyR), has been reported to display anticancer effects.  Caffeine and its analogues have diverse effects on pain, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease.

Current studies have shown that caffeine inhibits metastasis in a mouse mammary tumor model and UV-induced skin cancer in nude mice.

Caffeine has been known to induce the release of calcium from the intracellular stores by opening RyR’s, especially in muscle cells and cardiac myocytes.

To translate the results from the in vitro experiments they examined the effect of caffeine on brain slices and in in vitro animal models, in which local microenvironment could compromise the effect of caffeine.

They took mouse brain slices in culture, placed 1 μLof Dil-labeled U178MG cells in hippocampal region after 6 days in culture and examined the radial progression of these cells to neighboring regions 5 days after placement.  They found that the invasion of Dil-labeled U178MG cells were significantly lower in the brain slices that were treated with various concentrations of caffeine compared with the untreated slices.  It was also found that mice supplied with caffeine containing drinking water showed a significantly reduced tumor mass compared with control mice after implantation.

In another study, gene and protein expression patterns resulting from caffeine treatment showed that metastasis suppression may be associated with up-regulation of mRNA expression of multiple extracellular matrix genes.  This suggested that caffeine or other methylxanthine derivatives may improve the clinical outcome in patients prior to and following the diagnosis of metastatic diseases, and could potentially reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with disseminated tumors.

Caffeine, a methylxanthine, is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Epidemiological evidence indicates that heavy caffeine consumption is negatively related to cancer related mortality.

Caffeine and other methylxanines have also been shown to inhibit tumor cell invasiveness and experimental metastasis.  The anti-metastatic effects of caffeine may be related to a decrease in homing rate of primary tumor cells to distant target organs by multiple mechanisms, including by blocking the accessibility of the basement membrane to the tumor cells by suppressing cell adhesion to components of extracellular matrix (ECM), or by inhibiting complementary binding of tumor cells to endothelial cells.  Furthermore, caffeine can inhibit tumor cell growth and induce substantial differentiation in HL-60 cells.

Caffeine has multiple biochemical activities.  It inhibits phosphodiesterase activities, alters intracellular calcium mobilization, inhibits phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (P13K) activity, and antagonizes adenosine receptors.  These activities may all contribute to the modulation of the metastatic process that has previously been attributed to caffeine.

In this study, mice were given doses of caffeine that were equivalent to six to seven cups of coffee per day.  They found that exposure to caffeine significantly lowered metastasis size.  These observations suggested that caffeine suppresses the formation of metastases, either by inhibiting extravasation and/or preventing the conversion of dormant cells to proliferative lesions.

These findings are very important and should trigger future experiments about the therapeutic potential for caffeine to treat cancer.  Friedman stressed, “Additional studies will be required to confirm these findings and to identify the basis for the correlation.”

“And as for the specific protective impact of caffeine, this finding follows other recent research that demonstrated that coffee drinking is associated with a lower risk for breast cancer as well,” Yu exclaimed.  “But even taken together, it has not yet been established whether or not this is directly causative – (in other words, whether) drinking caffeine directly reduces disease risk – or whether this is actually about an association between other factors concerning the type of people who drink a certain amount of coffee and risk reduction.  More research is needed to figure that out.”

In the meantime drink on!

Ashley

To read more about this topic, go to the original studies listed below:

Coffee and tea intake and risk of brain tumors in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort study

Caffeine-Mediated Inhibition of Calcium Release Channel Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor Subtype 3 Blocks Glioblastoma Invasion and Extends Survival

Caffeine suppresses metastasis in transgenic mouse model: a prototype molecule for prophylaxis of metastasis

Hey everyone,

A few months ago we did a blog post on why you should choose organic farming over conventional.  It mostly looked at health reasons of organic being better, but it did not focus on the farmers.  In this post I am going to primarily discuss why it is important for you to support organic farming.  I will also touch on the risks of pesticides and chemical fertilizers that were not in the previous post.

An estimated 75% of the world’s organic coffee comes from Latin America.  However, more and more farmers are abandoning organic farming because people do not want to pay a little bit more money for it.  I am proud to say that Black River Roasters coffee is focused on being organic and Fair-Trade certified.  Fair-Trade is important because it ensures that more money goes back to the farmers.

Gerardo De Leon is the manager of FEDECOCAGUA, Guatemala’s largest grower’s cooperation. He represents 20,000 farmers.  In his warehouse he has over 450,000 pounds of organic coffee, but he cannot sell it.  De Leon states, “This is very high quality and it’s organic.  But…the roasters don’t want to pay extra these days.”  He is only asking $2 per pound of green coffee beans and people still refuse to buy it.  Unfortunately, now De Leon is considering switching over to conventional coffee where he will be able to sell it for cheaper.

The Center for Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education in Costa Rica (CATIE) estimates that in the past three years, at least 10% of Latin America farmers have deserted organic farming and returned to chemical fertilizers and pesticides that increase production.  Jeremy Haggar, who is in charge of the research for CATIE, says, “This is a critical point for organic coffee.  It was starting to make the conversion to the mainstream.”  He continues to explain that if more and more farmers abandon organic coffee then “prices will definitely go up and it will return to being a niche product.”

Jose Perez stopped growing organic coffee on his three acre farm last year, expressing, “ I can sell [nonorganic coffee] to a coyote [middle man] for around the same price [as organic], a little less, and I can use whatever I want on the coffee plants – fertilizers I can buy, pesticides.  I can grow a lot more this way.”

According to CATIE, by using chemical fertilizers a farmer can yield about 485 pounds of coffee per acre compared to 285 pounds per acre on an organic farm.  Growing organic costs about 15% more than growing conventional crops and yields less.

If farmers are not being paid properly for organic coffee, then chemical fertilizers are cheaper than the cost of composts, certification and audit fees, and additional labor costs, especially combined with lower yields.  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported that price premium for organic coffee is highly correlated with quality.  This means that producers of organic, high-quality specialty coffee are more likely to cover their costs and make a profit.  Producers of low-quality organic coffees sell their coffee at a low or no premium and usually need to bail out or go back to using chemicals.

Under specialty “green” labels at places such as McDonald’s and Wal-Mart, organic beans and brews have become cheaper and more available recently.  This probably means that the farmers are selling their coffee at a low or no premium.  In 2009, Starbucks reported that only 3% of their coffee purchases were organic.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, conventional coffee farmers apply up to 250 pounds of chemical fertilizers per acre!  Haggar adds, “And they use tons pesticides that are harmful to human health and affect biodiversity.”  Pesticides contribute to a wide range of health problems, including prostate and other types of cancers, Parkinson’s disease and miscarriages in pregnant women.

One pesticide that is used by conventional coffee farmers is going to be removed from use in 2014.  It is called Temik.  Both Temik and Imidachloprid are the pesticides of choice for coffee growers, and they have been linked to many diseases and neurological disorders.

These pesticides do not wash off or peel off.  Not only are they toxic to insects, but also to YOU!  The pesticides are absorbed into the plant making it toxic to insects.  It spreads to all parts of the plant, including the plant’s pollen, which kills a significant amount of bees every year.

Do you still want to drink conventional coffee now?! I definitely do not!

In order to prevent more farmers from abandoning their organic crops, please pay more for high-quality organic coffees.  By doing this it ensures that more money goes to the farmers, the environment is kept how it should be (without harmful chemicals) and that your health is no longer at risk from ingesting heavily sprayed coffee.

Support organic today!

Ashley

Hey Everyone,

Every morning I wakeup with a cup of Black River Roasters coffee and every night I cuddle up with a warm cup of tea.  I never thought to reuse my coffee grounds and/or tea leaves until I found an article tweeted by the Rainforest Alliance showing what to do with them.

The original article is here, but I have also copy and pasted it below.

What to do with coffee grounds…

1. Soften skin – Exfoliate with a body scrub made of coffee grounds, coconut oil and a little brown sugar.  Gently massage it on in the shower, rinse and be soft.
2. Please the flowers – Use coffee grounds as mulch for acid-loving plants (roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreens, hydrangeas and camellias).  They like coffee grounds for the natural acidity and nutrients they add to soil.
3. Sadden the ants – Sprinkle coffee grounds around areas of ant infestation to deter them.
4. Deter gastropods – Used grounds are said to repel snails and slugs, so sprinkle them in problem areas.
5. Simplify fireplace cleaning – Before cleaning the fireplace, sprinkle with dampened used coffee grounds, which will weigh down the ash and thus eliminate clouds of smoke-flavored dust. 
6. Make a sepia dye – Soak used grounds in hot water and use as a dye bath for Easter eggs, fabric and paper for a lovely, soft brown tinge.
7. Keep cats at bay – Keep kitties out of the garden with a mixture of orange peels and used coffee grounds distributed around plants.
8. Encourage the carrots – To boost a carrot harvest, mix seeds with dried coffee grounds before sowing.  The extra bulk makes the wee seeds easier to manage, while the coffee aroma can nourish the soil and help repel pests.

What to do with tea leaves and tea bags…

Some tips call for dried leaves, here’s how: When you’re finished brewing tea, place the leaves into a large strainer or colander.  Press out as much moisture as possible, and then spread the leaves on paper.  Let the leaves dry thoroughly, turning over several times in the process.  Also note that wet tea leaves stain, so if you are using wet tea leaves on or near a porous surface, be sure to test in an inconspicuous place first.

1. Tame stings and burns – Cool tea bags can bring relief when applied to bug bites and minor burns, including sunburn.  For overall skin irritation, put spent tea leaves in a bath and soak.
2. Soothe your eyes – The tannins in tea have anti-inflammatory effects, which is why cool ones are often employed on puffy eyes.  The chill also helps with swelling.
3. Feed the garden – Use tea leaves as food for garden plants – green tea is high in nitrogen, and as a bonus, the leaves can ward off pests and insects.  This is also good for houseplants, so add old tea leaves to their water.
4. Boost potted plaints – When potting plants, place a few used tea bags on top of the drainage layer at the bottom of the planter before adding soil.  The tea bags will help retain water and will also leach some nutrients into the potting medium.
5. Quell the cat box smell – Sprinkle used, dried tea leaves in litter boxes to help reduce the smell. 
6. Eliminate other pet odors – Sprinkle dried, used green tea leaves on your pet’s pillow, bed, in the doghouse, or other smelly spots to eliminate odor.
7. Freshen the carpet – Sprinkle dry tea leaves onto the carpet, crush them lightly and let sit for 10 minutes, then vacuum.  This will refresh the carpet and deodorize your vacuum cleaner and bag.
8. Treat the dog – As an extravagance, loose leaf gunpowder tea is a great treat for dogs to roll around in.  It’s great for the aroma and luster it adds to the coat.
9. Freshen mats and beds – It is common in Southeast Asia to wash straw sleeping mats in tubs of water to which tea has been added.  The tea works as a deodorizer, so you can apply this method to yoga mats and air mattresses.
10. Save the fridge – If you’re out of baking soda, place dried, used green tea bags or leaves in a small open bowl in your refrigerator to help absorb orders.
11. Wash your hands – Rid your hands of food odors (garlic, onion, etc) by rubbing them with wet green tea leaves, an instant deodorizer.
12. Deodorize kitchen surfaces – Rub wet tea leaves on cutting boards and counters to remove food odors.

Wow I cannot wait to try some of these ideas.

Ashley

Hey Everyone,

It is the New Year and with the New Year comes resolutions.  Every January, roughly one in three Americans resolve to better themselves in some way.  However, a much smaller percentage of people actually stick with their resolutions.

According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, the number one New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and the fifth is to stay fit and healthy.  A 2002 study found that while 75% of people maintain their goals for at least a week, less than half are still on target six months later.

So how do we stick to our workout goals?…perhaps with CAFFEINE.

Caffeine is a stimulant that gives you extra stamina and increases your heart rate, which improves blood flow to the rest of your body.  It is also ergogenic.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ergogenic as “increasing capacity for bodily or mental labor especially by eliminating fatigue symptoms.”  The ergogenic effects of caffeine start at levels as low as 250 milligrams (mg).

Additionally, caffeine increases the amount of adrenaline in your body, stimulating the release of free fatty acids from fat tissue and/or skeletal muscle.  This reduces the muscle’s consumption of carbohydrates, which is known as the glycogen sparing effect.  In turn, this improves endurance.  The glycogen sparing effect appears during short-term intense aerobic exercises as well as in longer activities.

Researchers from Coventry University in England recruited 13 fit men and had them repeat a standard weight-training gym routine over a period of time.  On one day, the men consumed a sugar-free energy drink containing caffeine one hour prior to the workout.  On another day, they drank the same beverage without the caffeine an hour before the workout.  The men were told to lift, press and squat until exhaustion.  The days that they consumed the caffeinated energy drink, exhaustion arrived much later.  Furthermore, the men completed a much higher amount of repetitions in all the exercises after they consumed the beverage with caffeine.

It was also reported that the men felt less tired during the workout and that they were more excited to workout again.  Michael Duncan, a senior lecturer in sports science at the University of Exeter in England and the lead author of the study, stated, “They would put more work into the training session, and when the session was finished, in the presence of the caffeinated drink, they were more psychologically ready to go again.”

Dr. Duncan theorizes that caffeine reduces adenosine levels, “which then enables more forceful muscular contractions and delays fatigue.”  Adenosine is a substance in muscles that builds up during exercise and hinders the force of contractions.

Caffeine’s major benefit in the short-term might also lie in the reduction of lactic acid during exercise.  Do you know the burning sensation you get in your muscles while working out?  Well that is due to the build up of lactic acid in the muscles as glycogen is depleted.  The University of Illinois conducted a study in 2009 that provided subjects with caffeine before working out.  It was found that 300 mg of caffeine taken prior to exercise reduced the amount of burning felt by the subjects in the study.

Most recently, it has been discovered that caffeine affects the calcium and potassium ions in skeletal muscle cells, thus enhancing the strength of muscle contraction.  For an experiment published in The Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers asked a group of volunteers who regularly play team sports to complete a difficult workout designed to imitate the physical exertion of a soccer or basketball game.  When volunteers consumed a caffeine capsule 70 minutes before the workout, they performed 16% better than not taking one.  The volunteers also had a lot less potassium in the fluid between their muscles afterwards and a lot more calcium.

One of the experiment’s authors, Magni Mohr, an exercise physiologist affiliated with both the University of Exeter and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, believes that potassium buildup is involved in the type of fatigue associated with anaerobic activities, such as team sports and weight training.

Caffeine was even on the Olympics’ list of forbidden substances until January 2, 2004.  Since then, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has established an upper threshold.  If an athlete’s blood-level is equivalent to eight cups of coffee, then he/she will be banned from the games.  As defined by the IOC, caffeine is a “controlled or restricted substance.”  Athletes are allowed up to 12 micrograms (μg) per milliliter (ml) of urine before it is considered illegal.  In the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) the acceptable limit is 15 μg/ml of urine.

There is an extremely low chance of reaching those limits through normal caffeine consumption, except when there are smaller volumes of coffee with very high caffeine concentrations.  Therefore, if an athlete has an illegal amount in his/her urine, then it is highly probable that the athlete took supplementary caffeine tablets to improve performance.

In one study, more than 2/3 of 20,680 Olympic athletes had caffeine in their urine.  The highest amounts found among triathletes, cyclists, and rowers.  The New York Times even calls caffeine the “most popular drug in sports” today.

Now for the bad news…habitual use of caffeine reduces all of the above effects.  Like any other drug, while the initial effects are big, over time it is reduced.  However, if you are not habituated, studies have shown that the optimal dosage is 2-3 mg of caffeine for every kilogram you weigh.  For most people, this is equivalent to 2-3 cups.  And for optimal results, consume caffeine an hour before your workout.

Now grab some coffee and stick to your New Year’s resolutions!

Ashley

Prevalence of caffeine use in elite athletes following its removal from the World Anti-Doping Agency list of banned substances.

Effects of carbohydrate and caffeine co-ingestion on a reliable simulated soccer-specific protocol.

Caffeine and Exercise Performance from the ACSM

Caffeine intake improves intense intermittent exercise performance and reduces muscle interstitial potassium accumulation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1 in 10 U.S. adults report depression. And that statistic does not include the people who do not report it and seek treatment. MedicineNet.com defines depression as “an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way a person eats, sleeps, feels about himself or herself, and things about things.”

The signs and symptoms of depression include loss of interest in activities that were once interesting or enjoyable, loss of appetite (with weight loss), or overeating (with weight gain), loss of emotional expression, persistently sad, anxious, or empty mood, feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness, social withdrawal, unusual fatigue, low energy level, sleep disturbance and insomnia, persistent physical problems such as headaches, digestive disorders, or chronic pain that do not respond to treatment, and thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts.

People who tend to be more depressed are women, persons between 45-64 years of age, those previously married, individuals unable to work or unemployed and persons without health insurance coverage.  For us females, I may have good news about how to decrease our risk of depression.

Caffeine is the most frequently used central nervous system stimulant in the world.  Coffee consumption accounts for 80% of this caffeine use.  Alberto Ascherio, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, pointed out that drinking coffee gives a boost of energy and a lift in well being.   “Caffeine is known to affect the brain,” he continues, “It modulates the release of mood transmitters.”

Harvard scientists led by Michel Lucas, researcher in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, conducted a study involving over 50,000 women between 1980 and 2004.  The women averaged 63 years old and none of them were depressed when the study started.

The study found that women who regularly drank more than four cups of coffee a day had a 20% lower risk of developing depression.  Additionally, women who drank two to three cups a day had a 15% lower risk.

Ascherio who was also the author of this study stated, “Our results support a possible protective effect of depression.”  However, it is still not exactly clear how coffee protects against depression, but there are a few hints.

Animal studies have shown that caffeine protects against certain neurotoxins.  Brain receptors that respond to caffeine are concentrated in the basal ganglia, an area important for depression and Parkinson’s disease.  Ascherio suggests that low-dose, chronic stimulation of these receptors may make them more efficient.

Dr. John Greden, executive director of the University of Michigan’s Comprehensive Depression Center, agrees with the findings of this Harvard study.  “Clinical depression is found in one out of every six people, roughly, and caffeine is one of the most widely used stimulants in the world,” he said, “If you put those two together, it has always been a logical question to ask, ‘Is there a connection.’”

Ascherio and other researchers caution that this study only shows an association between coffee consumption and depression risk and cannot prove that drinking coffee reduces the risk of depression in women.

“I’m not saying we’re on the path to discovering a new way to prevent depression,” Ascherio said, “But I think you can be reassured that if you are drinking coffee, it is coming out as a positive thing.”

So ladies drink up because it is definitely not a bad thing!

Ashley

Check out the journal article here.

Hey everyone,

I hope everyone is enjoying his or her holiday season so far!  I know I cannot believe how quickly it is passing by.  While browsing the internet, I came across some great coffee recipes that all of you should try this holiday season and here they are!…

Coffee Eggnog

Ingredients

• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 cups of water
• ½ cup of coffee (we recommend our Jamaican Blue Mountain)
• 12 eggs
• 4 cups of milk
• 4 cups of half and half
• 1 tablespoon nutmeg
• 1 pint of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum (optional)

Instructions

Brew the 4 cups of water with the ½ cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Add the sugar

Chill in the refrigerator

In a large container whisk the eggs until fluffy

Add the milk, half and half, chilled coffee, nutmeg and Captain Morgan Spiced Rum

Stir, serve, enjoy!

Gingerbread Latte

Ingredients

• 2 fluid ounces Organic Espresso Blend coffee
• 2 tablespoons gingerbread flavored syrup
• ½ cup steamed milk
•  cup whipped cream
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla powder

Instructions

In a coffee mug, combine espresso coffee with flavored syrup

Pour in steamed milk.

Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla powder

Snickerdoodle Coffee

Ingredients

• ¼ cup of coffee (we suggest our Organic Roastmaster’s Blend)
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• ½ cup powdered non-dairy creamer
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Brew the 2 cups of water with the ¼ cup of coffee

Pour the brewed coffee, sugar, non-fat dry milk powder, non-dairy creamer, cocoa powder, allspice, and cinnamon into a mug

Serve and enjoy!

Iced Mint Chocolate Coffee

Ingredients

• ¼ cup of coffee (we recommend our Organic Nicaragua)
• 2 cups of water
• ½ cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream
• 1 tablespoon of chocolate mint syrup
• 3-5 ice cubes
• Mint leaves
• Whipped cream

Instructions

Brew the 2 cups of water with the ¼ cup of coffee

Chill in the refrigerator

In a blender mix the coffee, mint chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate mint syrup, and ice cubes

Pour into a glass

Top with whip cream and garnish with mint leaves

Happy holidays!

Ashley

Hey everyone,

I cannot believe it is already December, which means it is holiday gift basket making season for me! Black River Roaster’s holiday workshop is open so get your orders in.  Read about each unique gift basket below.

Mini -Break Coffee Basket

Not sure what to send that special someone or a coworker? Look no further that this small sampler package.  This gift set includes a one pound bag of organic/Fair-Trade Black River Roasters coffee, a premium organic /Fair-Trade Theo Chocolate bar and a 15 oz Black River Roasters coffee mug.

Coffee Break Basket

Much like the Mini-Break Coffee Basket, this larger package includes coffee, chocolates and mugs!  There are two 1 pound bags of organic/Fair-Trade coffee included in this package, two organic/Fair-Trade Theo Chocolate bars, and two 15 oz Black River Roasters mugs.

Chocolate Lover’s Basket

This basket is for all you chocolate lovers out there.  Give into your chocolate cravings by enjoying a smooth tasting, chocolaty cup of Nicaragua Selva Negra coffee while indulging in organic, Fair-Trade chocolate bars. This basket includes a pound of our organic Nicaragua Selva Negra coffee and two, four or six Theo chocolate bars.

Fair-Trade Gift Package

This is a sampler of our Fair-Trade coffees.  You can choose four bags of coffee or three bags of coffee and three organic, Fair-Trade Theo Chocolate bars.

French Press Starter Kit

Your family, friends or coworkers will be sure to love this French Press Starter Kit. This package includes a one pound bag of Black River Roasters coffee, a Chambord French Press and a Bistro Blade grinder.

Aeropress Starter Kit

Introduce your family or friends to the world of Black River Roasters coffee and the Aeropress with this Aeropress Starter Kit!  This gift package features a one pound bag of Black River Roasters coffee, an Aerobie Aeropress and a Bistro Blade grinder.

Deluxe Starter Kit

The Deluxe Starter Kit has all the things you need to easily grind and brew a cup of your favorite Black River Roasters coffee.  This deluxe kit includes two 1 pound bags of Black River Roasters organic/Fair-Trade coffee, two 15 oz mugs featuring the Black River Roasters logo, an Aerobie Aeropress and a Bistro Burr grinder.

Jamaican Sampler Package

For the ultimate connoisseur of coffee: a package containing three bags of Jamaican Blue Mountain #1 coffee.  This package has two bags of our Clifton Mount Estate coffee, and one bag of Clydesdale Estate. Clifton Mount is the only Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee in all of Jamaica!

Ultimate Gift Set

This gift package features everything that a coffee lover could want.  Included is one pound of each of the following: Jamaica Clifton Mount, Jamaica Clydesdale and Hawaiian Kona.  Aside from these ultra premium coffees, the gift package also includes a large Bistro Burr grinder, our favorite Aerobie Aeropress and a Chambord French Press.

You can also call or email us to customize your gift basket to your liking. We will work with you so that you get exactly what you want in your gift package for that special someone or coworker.  Airscape coffee storage containers go great in any great basket.

Happy holidays!!!

Ashley

For all you coffee addicts out there, here are some coffee-infused recipes that you should try for Thanksgiving!

Tom Douglas’ Coffee Bean Turkey

Ingredients

1 fresh whole turkey

6 tablespoons butter (at room temperature)

6 tablespoons butter (melted)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

12 sage leaves

½ cup dark-roasted coffee beans (we recommend our Organic French Roast)

1 tablespoon rendered bacon fat (melted)

1 onion (cut in half lengthwise and julienned)

5 garlic cloves (peeled but left whole)

5 to 6 cups chicken or turkey broth (heated)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

If the turkey has a metal clamp on its legs, remove it.  Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity, if included, and reserve for another use or discard.  Remove the cavity fat, then rinse the turkey well and pat dry with paper towels.

In a small bowl, mash the 6 tablespoons of room-temperature butter until smooth and season with salt and pepper.  Using your fingers and starting from the cavity end of the turkey, separate the skin from the breast meat, being careful not to tear the skin.  Gently rub the softened butter evenly over the breast meat, and then insert 6 of the sage leaves under the skin, placing 3 leaves on each breast half.

Pat the skin back into place, and then brush the whole exterior of the bird with some of the melted butter.  Season the turkey all over, including the cavity, with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the coffee beans inside the cavity.

Brush the bottom of a roasting pan just large enough to accommodate the turkey with the bacon fat, and then make a bed of the onion slices in the center of the pan.  Place the turkey, breast side up, on top of the onion.

Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 1 hour.  Baste the turkey with some of the melted butter and add the garlic, the remaining 6 sage leaves, and 5 cups of the broth to the pan.  Continue to roast the turkey, basting with butter at regular intervals a few more times, for another 1 ½ to 2 hours.  If the turkey is browning too much, tent with aluminum foil.  The turkey is done when a thigh joint is pierced and the juices run clear, or when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone registers 155° to 165°F.

Remove the turkey from oven, transfer to a platter, and tent with aluminum foil.  Let rest for about 20 minutes.

This recipe was taken from ABC’s The Chew

Coffee Glazed Ham

Ingredients

1 ham

¾ cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon orange juice

4 teaspoons brewed coffee

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake ham for 30-60 minutes depending on the size of the ham.

Mix the remaining ingredients together, except for the cloves.

Remove ham from the oven and slash diagonally, first in one direction then across forming diamonds.

Stud the intersecting cuts with whole cloves.

Pour glaze over ham, and return to oven for another 30-60 minutes.

This recipe was taken from Bunn

Sweet Potato Coffee Casserole

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes

1 cup brewed coffee

4 tablespoons vanilla almond milk (or whatever milk you’ve got on hand)

4 teaspoons brown sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 tablespoons pecans

4 tablespoons raisins

Instructions

Cut your potato into quarters. Fill a pot with water, set stovetop to medium-high and then put potatoes in the pot. Let them boil for 25 minutes (or until soft enough to slice with a fork). Make sure you keep checking them because you don’t want the sweet potatoes to get too soft. Tip: If you’re in a HUGE rush and don’t mind sacrificing the consistency of the casserole a little bit, just puncture the skin of an uncooked sweet potato several times with a fork, wrap it in a paper towel and microwave for 3-5 minutes depending on the size of your potato.

Put potato pieces in a strainer and let drain for a couple of minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grab a medium sized bowl. Put potatoes in it and mash them up with a potato masher or a fork. I left the skins on in my casserole and I really enjoyed the texture and the added health benefits that they brought to the dish. However, if you’d like a smoother dish, go ahead and peel the potatoes before you mash.

After the potatoes are mashed, mix in all of the other casserole ingredients. Stir so that the ingredients are evenly dispersed. Put the potato mixture into a mini casserole pan. If you don’t have a casserole pan small enough for a task like this, try putting the sweet potato casserole into a muffin pan or scoop it into a bread tin.

Sprinkle pecans and raisins on top and then put the dish into the oven. Let the casserole bake for 15-20 minutes. At this point, the scent of coffee will be beckoning you to the oven. Let the casserole cool for a couple minutes and then dig in

This recipe is from Dig into Books

Coffee Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated

2/3 cup white granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups unseasoned canned pumpkin, drained well

1/3 cup coffee, brewed strong (we recommend our Organic Roastmaster’s Blend)

1/2 teaspoon EACH: salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup coffee, brewed strong, chilled (if you have time you can even cold brew some coffee for this)

1 cup whipping cream

1 9-inch ready-made baked pie crust, graham cracker style

Instructions

Brew 4 cups of coffee; chill 1/4 cup, reserve 1/3 cup and keep room temperature, drink the rest while you make the pie! Heat water in the bottom of a double boiler to hot, not boiling; simmer until ready to use.

In a medium-size bowl, beat the egg yolks then add 1/3 cup of the sugar plus the pumpkin, and the 1/3 cup of brewed coffee. Add the salt and all the spices, stir, and then transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler. Stir it constantly, until the pie filling is hot.

In a small bowl, pour in the 1/4 cup chilled coffee and sprinkle in the gelatin. Mix until dissolved then add to the hot pumpkin mixture and stir thoroughly. Pour it all out into a large bowl, cover, and chill for about 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. When the pumpkin mixture is thickened, remove from the refrigerator and begin the rest of the steps.

In a very clean, very dry medium bowl (glass or copper works best) beat the egg whites until stiff then add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, all the while beating to keep the whites stiff. Gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin mixture.

Beat the cream until peaks form then gently fold them in until fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into a ready-made pie crust, smooth over evenly, then cover and chill for two hours.

To serve, brew up some more Black River Roaster coffee, whip the remaining 1/2 cup of the cream, and garnish the pie with it.

This recipe is from The Supermarket Guru

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Ashley

Hey everyone,

I came across this article on the Huffington Post and wanted to pass it along to all of you.  The article looks at popular fall drinks and their nutrition content.  Let’s look at what we are getting ourselves into:

Calories: 360
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
Cholesterol: 30 mg
Sugars: 68 g
Sodium: 0 mg

The deal:
This coffee-free drink is marketed to kids and while 4.5 grams of saturated fat is an already high 22 percent of the daily allowance for an adult who eats 2,000 calories per day, it’s significantly more for a child. That fat comes from the whipped cream, but even if that were to come off, there would still be 65 grams of sugar in the drink — that’s the equivalent of more than a can of coke (39 grams), a package of Twinkies (37 grams) and two Snickers bars (60 grams).

Calories: 380
Fat: 13 g
Saturated Fat: 8 g
Cholesterol: 50 mg
Sugars: 49 g
Sodium: 0 mg
Protein: 14 g

The deal:
We all know that 49 grams of sugar — again, more than a can of coke (39 grams) or a package of Twinkies (37 grams) — is not healthful. And research shows that consuming sugar in beverages can be even more harmful to health than sugar in solid form. What’s more, the 8 grams of saturated fat comprises almost half the recommended daily value.

Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Latte With Skim Milk

Calories: 260
Fat: .5 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Sugars: 51 g
Sodium: 0 mg
Protein:12 gThe deal:
If this drink is ordered in its healthiest iteration — skim milk, no sugar or sweetener — it can be a decent choice in terms of calories, fat and saturated fat. But with 51 grams of sugar, it’s still a diet buster. What’s more, since there’s an option to add sugar on top of what’s provided behind the counter, it can seem like you’re making a healthy choice by abstaining from the extra, even though you aren’t.

Panera Bread’s Pumpkin Spice Latte

Calories: 340
Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Sugars: 46 g
Sodium: 115 mg
Protein:7 gThe deal:
This drink has the same problems with sugar and fat as its counterparts at other chains, but it also has a surprising amount of salt — in fact, at 115 milligrams, it accounts for 10 percent of a daily allowance.

Tim Horton’s Small Caramel Apple Cider Supreme

Calories: 210
Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Sugars: 57 g
Sodium: 15 mg
Protein:0 gThe deal:
While reasonable in calories and fat and saturated fat content, the 57 grams of sugar make this a bad choice.

Caribou Coffee’s Pumpkin White Chocolate Mocha

Calories: 680
Fat: 29 g
Saturated Fat: 18 g
Sugars: 89 g
Sodium: 210 mg
Protein:12 gThe deal:
Caribou Coffee’s pumpkin-chocolate coffee confection may be the worst offender of all with a high caloric count, high fat and saturated fat, more sugar than any other drink and the most salt.

Jamba Juice Pumpkin Smash Smoothie

Calories: 390
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Sugars: 75 g
Sodium: 320 mg
Protein:10 gThe deal:
The lack of fat and saturated fat, coupled with a decent amount of protein, makes this smoothie attractive at first. But with 75 grams of sugar, it still packs a calorie-laden punch. An option to “make it light” reduces the calories to 260 and the sugar to 50 grams per 16-ounce cup.

Now who wants a pumpkin spiced latte?  If you still do, then try these home recipes to make your own pumpkin spiced lattes.  At least then you know what exactly is going in it.