Coffee Breath
The girls got together for our day out. Our agreement is that this is a girls only day; no husbands, boyfriends, life partners, kids, parents or work allowed to intrude. It is time to take care of the women and enjoy one day without responsibilities. Thankfully, our families understand.
One of the girls mentioned that she recently had a meeting with a client. She walked in the door and as he spoke, she felt a bit dizzy. No, it wasn’t his gorgeous good looks that caused the
sensation. It was his coffee breath!
Most people are unaware that they have halitosis. Everybody gets them at some point. Coffee drinkers smell coffee on their breath and think absolutely nothing of it since they love coffee.
Unfortunately, the smell of coffee on someone’s breath isn’t always pleasant. Coffee is acidic. The acid combined with the bacteria in our mouth isn’t exactly the best scent around. The odor can ensure that people will give you a wide berth. Hmmm…not the reaction you want if you are running for Hunk or Babe of the Year.
Fortunately, there are some simple solutions that do not require you to give up your favorite coffee drink.
- Develop good oral hygiene
- Brush your teeth properly and carefully twice a day
- Floss at least once a day before brushing
- Rinse your mouth with water especially after drinking or eating
- Clean your tongue well
- Drink a lot of water. Two glasses for every cup of coffee is good for cleansing.
- Add food that can help improve the scent of your breath to your diet such as apples, carrots and celery.
In a pinch, there’s always Altoids of course. People around you will appreciate it.
Magic Power Coffee: Stay Away!
We’ve heard of all sorts of coffee drinks that claim various benefits. I am talking about slimming coffees and the like, but until a few minutes ago, I had never heard of Magic Power Coffee! Some of you might know about it, but for the sake of those like me, allow me to briefly describe this product.
Magic Power Coffee is being marketed all over the United States as an instant coffee drink. The uniqueness of this product lies in the claim that it functions as an aphrodisiac. Yup, it is supposed to stimulate sexual arousal in both men and women!
So what’s wrong with that? It could very well be a better alternative to Viagra, right?
The FDA, however, disagrees, and has released a statement to the effect that it can be harmful. The government agency is quite worried about the fact that the coffee drink is labeled as an “all natural dietary supplement.” You know how it is these days – people market products as “all natural” and as a “dietary supplement,” and these products are supposed to be 100% safe.
I guess there is no such thing, though. A spokesperson from the FDA says that the label is misleading, and that in fact, Magic Power Coffee can cause serious damage. Men who are using certain prescription drugs, for example, can experience a sudden plummet in blood pressure due to the interaction of the active ingredients.
If you still wish to try the potency of this magic drink, I suggest you check with your doctor first. Better yet, just stick to the good old brew!
Shorter Babies Result From Heavy Caffeine Intake
I wonder if my mom had a lot of coffee while she was carrying me! I highly doubt it, as she is not really much of a coffee drinker now. Anyhow, a group of researchers from The Netherlands recently released the findings of their study: the amount of caffeine intake that a mother has during pregnancy can affect the size of her baby.
The study shows that the effects of caffeine can already be significant in the first trimester, especially if the mother takes 6 cups (or more) of coffee per day. The researchers are from Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam and they conducted the studies on 7,300 Dutch women. When the study commenced, the women were all in their early stages of pregnancy. Some of them were heavy coffee drinkers while some were not.
So what does this mean for pregnant women or women who are planning on getting pregnant?
I suppose the study can serve as a warning. While it does not say that more serious issues may arise from heavy caffeine intake during pregnancy, it is better to be safe than sorry. Still, I can’t really just take these results without any doubts. What about those other studies that say that drinking coffee during pregnancy is okay? More so, the researchers behind this most recent study say that their findings are not conclusive and that they need more information – to which I say again “as usual.”
So, if you want to increase your chances of having a tall kid – just lay off on the caffeine. Your kid will thank you for it.
Dark Brewed Coffee: Stomach Problem Cure
I must be pulling your leg, right? To be honest, I am not quite convinced about this piece of news, but it is just too good not to share. According to new research (we have new studies ALL THE TIME, don’t we?), there is something in dark brewed coffee that can help stomach problems.
This is what The Med Guru says:
People who were earlier forced to resist the much-desired morning coffee cup due to the fear of stomach pain can now have it without another thought, claimed the study.
“This discovery is going to help a lot of people who suffer from coffee sensitivity. As coffee-lovers, we’re very excited about this research,” said Dr. Veronika Somoza from the University of Vienna in Austria, and Dr. Thomas Hofmann, from the Technische Universitat Munchen in Germany, who conducted the study.
Don’t get me wrong – I am very much in support of the idea behind the study, but my experience does not seem to agree with the findings. I have a very acidic stomach, and it just gets worse whenever I have too much coffee. And, yes, I do drink black brewed coffee for the most part. As much as I love coffee, I have to admit that I have had to cut back so many times due to the stomach problems.
They say it’s all about this component:
The study found that the components that triggered molecular mechanism of acid production in the stomach cells were caffeine, catechols and N-alkanoly-5-hydroxytryptamides.
The finding revealed that there wasn’t one single irritant, but a mixture of compounds that caused the irritant property of coffee.
Moreover, one of the components, N-methylpyridium (NMP), helped in stagnating the production of hydrochloric acid by the stomach cells, which can reduce stomach irritation.
The darker roasted coffee beans contain almost twice the amount of NMP than the raw coffee beans. The level of NMP in the beans depends on the roasting method and the natural variety of the bean, revealed the researchers.
I guess it’s now a question of making sure that we get the component, isn’t it?
Coffee Can Lead To Food Addiction
And you’re telling me that NOW? I know, this kind of news is simply not welcome at certain times. While we’re in the middle of Lent, a lot of people are actually practicing abstinence of one sort or another. No need to talk about food, right?
Sorry, I can’t help but share the results of this recent study that I just read about. According to the article, fatty food and junk food are addictive; and this includes items like coffee, sugar, and meat. More:
Paul Kenny at Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Fla and colleagues also found when junk addictive foods like bacon, sausage, pound cake, and candy bars were removed from their diet, the rats went on a hunger strike – they did not eat anything for two weeks.
Furthermore, the researchers discovered that eating the addictive food literally changed brain chemistry by suppressing the dopamine D2 receptor in the brain’s reward system, leading to compulsive eating.
The study suggests that the tasty junk foods may play a big role in the national obesity epidemic.
Seriously, people. Get a life! We know that we get addicted to food. We know that certain people get addicted more easily. But, we also know that we can’t live without coffee. So what do you expect us to do?
You know what I was thinking? If the researchers keep it up, we just might have organizations for coffee addicts in the next several years. We might even have programs that will help people get off of their coffee addiction. Oh how sad.
Batangas Coffee Organic Soap
Batangas coffee is my coffee of choice. It has a very bold flavor which makes many other blends pale in comparison. Unsurprisingly, I have only used this coffee for drinking purposes. To my delight, however, I discovered another use for Batangas coffee. Last month, a colleague of mine went around the office selling organic soaps, and guess what? She had something made of Batangas coffee!
The manufacturer is called Cycleina and they specialize in all sorts of organic soap. I have actually used a lot of their other varieties (flavors, if you will) but nothing has made me more satisfied than their Batangas coffee one. The soap bar is square shaped and not too thick. The best thing about it is that it has coffee grounds incorporated into the bar. The result is silky smooth skin because the grounds serve as a gentle exfoliant!
Seriously, I do not even have to use my loofah anymore when I use this soap when taking a shower. I am not so sure about its effectiveness as a facial soap – I am a bit iffy about using it as I am particular when it comes to facial products – but I do not see any serious problems with it. My bar is now gone, and I need to stock up. Oh, the best thing about it is it’s so cheap! Less than 2 dollars for one bar of sheer happiness! I wish they made lotions in the same variety. That would complete the bath set, wouldn’t it?
What’s Up With Slimming Coffees?
About two weeks ago, a friend of mine gave me a box of “coffee.” She said that she’d been drinking the stuff for a week and it helped her lose weight. Naturally, I couldn’t say no to that!
I did try the coffee and I think that if I had continued to drink it on a regular basis, I would have shed some pounds. However, I can’t get rid of the habit of going straight to the espresso machine the moment I get out of bed. As a result, I keep forgetting to drink the slimming coffee.
What’s this coffee all about anyway? It seems that I have been hearing a lot about it but I am not really sure what it is. After all, everything is in Chinese! All I can say is that it doesn’t really taste like coffee – at least not the coffee that I drink. Even if you put only half a cup of water, the resulting mixture is a very pale brown and the flavor is very very strange.
I did notice that I lost my appetite when I drank the coffee – maybe that’s how it makes you lose weight. I also felt that I needed to drink lots of water all throughout the day because I had this dry feeling in my mouth. You know how you feel after walking under the blazing sun for hours? It’s similar to that but not exactly the same.
Now I really am curious as to what’s in these slimming coffees. Anyone know?
Drink Coffee And You Won’t Die
Alright, that title is quite exaggerated, I know; but I just read something on how coffee can actually help lessen your chances of dying. This is no joke.
Roy Edroso from Village Voice writes about a study that the Wall Street Journal recently published. To make the long story short, the study found out that the more you drink coffee, the less likely you are to die during the period you drink coffee. So let’s say that I drink 5 cups of coffee a day for the next 5 years. This means that my chances of dying in the next 5 years are going to decrease. Sounds good to me!
Of course, the study has a disclaimer – the word MAY. Every time I read a study on anything, the conclusion always includes that word: MAY. If so and so, you MAY so and so. It’s the same thing with this study, I guess.
As much as I love coffee, I know that there are adverse effects if I drink too much – I don’t need a doctor or a scientist to tell me that. More than 5 cups (sometimes even less) and I would need antacids to keep my stomach acidity at bay. I also have to admit that you do develop a dependency on caffeine after being used to taking it into your system regularly. Anything you’re addicted to can be bad…
So what’s the verdict? Chug down as much coffee as you can to lessen your chances of dying in 2010? I think not. I’ll stick to my 3-5 cups a day and see how it goes.
Protect Your Liver With Coffee
I bet you didn’t know that – I didn’t! I know how too much alcohol can damage one’s liver beyond repair, but I had never associated coffee with the liver. Then again, everything that we ingest goes through the liver so it makes sense.
Anyhow, a new study has found out that perhaps, coffee can help with the retardation of the damage on the liver caused by hepatitis C. This form of hepatitis is viral and can be contracted through infected needles, sexual activity, and mother to child. In a few cases, the virus does not cause much damage. However, in most cases, the infection stays and causes damage to the liver, including chronic inflammation, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), and even cancer of the liver.
So what exactly did this new study find out? According to the researchers, their subjects who drank at least three cups of coffee on a daily basis were more protected against the long term damages wrought by hepatitis C. The figures play around 53 percent. Reuters has more details:
Freedman’s team found that the risk of progression declined as patients’ coffee intake rose. Compared with those who were non-drinkers at the outset, patients who had one to three cups of coffee per day were 30 percent less likely to progress. Those who drank three or more cups each day had a 53 percent lower risk.
Again, as with most other studies, the researchers have a standard disclaimer that they need further studies and analysis to have conclusive results. Still, even if you don’t have hepatitis C, you have another reason to drink more coffee!
Coffee Poisons Harvard Lab Workers
I have heard people say that coffee is a drug but I haven’t heard of anything about it being a poison, have you? Ask the six Harvard lab workers and I am sure they will tell you just how poisonous coffee can be!
Apparently, in August, these lab workers drank some coffee from a machine which was located near their laboratory. Soon after, they had to be taken to the hospital due to symptoms such as dizziness and ringing in the ears. One of them even passed out. While they were released not long after, the incident prompted an investigation.
The results were released just yesterday, and they showed that the coffee in the machine was tainted with a chemical called sodium azide. This chemical is commonly used in laboratories as a preservative. They don’t know whether its presence was intentional or not.
So who cares about this piece of news? I do! And people who drink coffee from their office coffee machines should think twice as well! Whether you are talking about those instant coffee machines or machines that dispense brewed coffee, it always pays to make sure that what you are getting is safe and clean.
Come to think of it, though, the story is actually a bit funny. I am sure the workers don’t think so, but who would have thought that such a chemical would find its way into the coffee? Anyhow, next time you think of grabbing coffee from “just anywhere,” you might want to think twice.
