According to many historians, the English Enlightenment may never have happened were it not for coffeehouses, the public sphere where poets, critics, philosophers, legal minds, and other intellectual gadflies regularly met to chatter about the pressing concerns of the day. And yet, writes scholar Bonnie Calhoun, “it was not for the taste of coffee that people flocked to these establishments.” Indeed, one irate pamphleteer defined coffee, which was at this time without cream or sugar and usually watered down, as “puddle-water, and so ugly in colour and taste [sic].” No syrupy, high-dollar Macchiatos or smooth, creamy lattes kept them coming back. Rather than the beverage, “it was the nature of the institution that caused its popularity to skyrocket during...
People who report drinking three to five cups of coffee per day are less likely to die prematurely from heart disease, suicide, diabetes or Parkinson's disease, US researchers said. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee were shown to have benefits, said the study by researchers at the Harvard University Chan School of Public Health published in the November 16 edition of the journal Circulation.The study compared people who don't drink coffee, or drank less than two cups daily, to those who reported drinking "moderate" amounts of coffee, or up to five cups daily.The study did not prove a cause-and-effect for coffee and the reduced likelihood of certain diseases, but uncovered an apparent link that aligns with previous research, and that scientists would...
By editor Usually, when we drink coffee, we add some sugar and cream to improve its taste to our liking. But there’s a new trend now that could make you stop using the sugar and cream – a pat of butter. This trend goes by the name Bulletproof Coffee, and is believed to be able to help you kick your day into overdrive. Many wellness experts support the use of butter to boost coffee’s taste and effect. If you’re unsure whether to try it, here are some reasons that could convince you to add some butter in your coffee tomorrow 1.Great for People On the Go If you start work or school early, you don’t always have time for breakfast...
by Kathryn Lindsay People are always telling us to put down that cup of coffee, and I never have the energy to argue with them until after I’ve had the cup of coffee. Well, finally there’s some good news for caffeine connoisseurs: Drinking coffee could make you a better driver. A study conducted in partnership with UniSA Sleep Research Centre, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research,and Monash University Accident Research Centre has found that, while caffeine doesn’t do much to reduce drowsiness at the wheel, there have been significant links between consuming caffeine and good driving. Specifically, driving errors were reduced when participants in the study were chewing caffeinated gum. This study’s goal was to take a look at caffeine as...
Alexandra Svokos on Healthy Habits For many coffee drinkers, summer doesn’t end until it feels chilly enough to make the switch from iced to hot. They’ll stick it out through mid-autumn, insisting it’s still summer while carrying an iced coffee around an apple orchard, before finally conceding their hands are cold and a steaming hot coffee looks more appealing. But when they switch over to hot coffee, they’re missing out on some health — and taste — benefits. That’s right, your seemingly insane friend who drinks iced coffee through snowstorms and polar vortexes may actually be onto something. But only certain iced coffees have benefits. While it’s annoying to hear a coffee snob highlight the varieties of brewing, it...
