Safe Organic Coffee
If you are worried about all of the junk that someone might be putting in your food consider safe organic coffee. USDA organic coffee is certified to be grown according to sustainable growing practices. Coffee used to be grown in the shade and commonly in forested areas. Historically the environment and spacing out the coffee plants took care of much of the problem of insects and plant diseases. However, new coffee strains were introduced which can grow in the full sun. With the use of synthetic fertilizers the grower produces more coffee. He also erodes the soil and leaves synthetic fertilizer residue in the coffee bean. Crowding of plants brings about more plant diseases and pests which growers commonly treat with fungicides and pesticides, which also end up on the coffee bean. Safe organic coffee, on the other hand is grown and certified to be grown without use of pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers. When the consumer has his cup of safe organic coffee each morning he can be assured that the product he is drinking is good for the environment. And, he is not drinking a contaminated beverage.
Over one hundred thirty contaminants can be found in a cup of regular coffee. The Australian Food Standards Authority found metals such as aluminum and zinc, pesticide residues, and many other unwelcome substances in commercially available regular coffee. The effects of some of these chemicals are impairment the immune system, liver problems, and even certain kinds of cancer. On the other hand, antioxidants in black organic coffee in easy to find organic coffee brands can help prevent disease.
Organic coffee antioxidants in safe organic coffee provide benefits beyond lack of contamination. Antioxidants in organic coffee help reduce oxidation. These include methylpyridium created during the roasting process of organic coffee. This breakdown product of trigonelline has been found to increase activity of phase II enzymes which are protective against colon cancer. Safe organic coffee also contains chlorogenic acid lactones and lipophilic antioxidants which are known to protect nerve cells from hydrogen peroxide challenge. Who would have thought that more organic coffee can lead to less diabetes ? However, scientific research shows a roughly fifty percent reduction in the incidence of Type II diabetes in coffee drinkers. Healthy organic coffee antioxidants are natural chemicals like polyphenols or condensed tannins that help prevent tooth decay as well as act as antioxidants. Antioxidants in black organic coffee have the potential to lessen cellular damage from aging, slow down atherosclerosis related inflammation, and possibly treat age related conditions.
Safe organic coffee is also good coffee. The procedures that growers go through to ensure that a cup of healthy organic coffee arrives at your breakfast table are also procedures that help the taste of the coffee. With the reduction of contaminants comes the reduction of competing, not very nice, flavors. With more attention to detail comes better roasting, processing, storage, and transport. Safe organic coffee turns out to be better coffee, all around, than most coffees, for taste as well as health.
Organic Coffee Reduces Dangerous Bacteria
Now we hear that organic coffee reduces dangerous bacteria that otherwise healthy people carry in their nose! Will the number of beneficial effects healthy organic coffee never cease? A report in a recent edition of the medical journal, Annals of Family Medicine, notes that coffee drinkers have fewer instances of the dangerous bacteria, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, living in their noses. This germ is a dangerous bacterium that, as the name implies, is resistant to a strong antibiotic. It is often seen in hospitals in very sick patients. It turns out that coffee drinkers are half as likely to carry this germ as non coffee drinkers.
The bacterium called methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infects roughly 90,000 Americans every year and kills 15,000. A public health concern with this dangerous germ is than many healthy people are carriers of this germ, in their nose! If the carrier becomes ill and his resistance falls he can become ill from the dangerous bacterium. More commonly he can pass the germ on to a person whose immune system is weak, such as someone on cancer chemotherapy or a person who has recently had surgery. The recipient of this germ can become ill with a one in six chance of dying. Now we find that organic coffee reduces dangerous bacteria in the nose. According to the study in the Annals of Family Medicine five thousand people had their noses swabbed and the results showed that drinkers of hot tea or hot coffee had half the incidence of the dangerous bacteria in their noses. The researchers noted that an inexpensive way to remove this dangerous bacterium for individual might just be with drinking hot coffee or tea.
Now that we see that organic coffee reduces dangerous bacteria carried in the nose what else does coffee do? Previous research shows that more organic coffee can lead to less colon cancer. Likewise drinking organic coffee reduces prostate cancer risk as well. In each case scientific research demonstrates that people who drink coffee in regular amounts have lower incidences of both of these diseases.
A lower incidence of Type II diabetes is also seen with coffee consumption. Interestingly diabetic patients have more trouble rejecting bacteria than others. Now we see that organic coffee antioxidants not only help with diabetes, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. Organic coffee reduces dangerous bacteria carried in the nose as well.
Organic coffee guaranteed by organic coffee certification is grown with sustainable farming practices and has long been known to contain less, or no, residues of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. The healthy aspects of organic coffee and its antioxidants are only more recently known. For example, the fact that more organic coffee can lead to less diabetes has only been demonstrated in scientific studies within the last few years. New we see that a hot cup of coffee can do what many antibiotics cannot, it can reduce the incidence of a dangerous bacteria which is resistant to powerful pharmaceuticals. Organic coffee reduces dangerous bacteria as well as being a delicious and otherwise healthy beverage.
Growing Organic Coffee in the Shade
Growing organic coffee in the shade is how growers follow the traditional means of growing coffee. Coffee is grown in the tropics and traditionally grows on the sides of hills and mountains. The time honored means of planting is to put 20 seeds in a hole of which about half survive to grow into coffee bushes. Traditional planting takes place at the start of the rainy season. It takes several years for coffee to mature and start producing coffee beans. Thus traditional growers often plant other crops amount the coffee while it is maturing. Today most growers follow the example set in Brazil of growing seedlings in a greenhouse and then planting outside when they are ready. Growing organic coffee in the shade is done by two methods. One is to partially clear forest and plant coffee. The other is to plant trees among the coffee in order to provide shade. When fruit trees are used the coffee grower enjoys two crops on the same land. He grows healthy organic coffee and crops such as plantain as well.
In growing organic coffee in the shade two general species of coffee can be used. One is aribica and the other is canephora, also referred to as robusta. Many growers and coffee lovers prefer aribica but robusta is hardier and has about fifty percent more caffeine. Robusta is typically less expensive while growers worldwide plant more aribica. Robusta, or coffea canephora, is more resistant to diseases that attack coffee and can also be cultivated at lower altitudes and in warmer climates than aribica. Robusta is substantially more resistant than aribca to coffee leaf rust as well as the various beetles, bugs, nematodes, mites, snails, and slugs that attack coffee plants. In growing organic coffee in the shade growers use sustainable agricultural practices to promote growth and to avoid and control coffee plant diseases. By doing so organic growers avoid the use of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and synthetic fertilizers. Organic coffee certification requires that growers not use these means of avoiding and treating coffee diseases and that he can document this.
In growing organic coffee in the shade growers must wait as many as ten years for a full bearing coffee plant. An established coffee plantation will commonly stagger its planting so that some plants are bearing coffee while others are growing. Because much coffee is planted on very steep slopes growers commonly terrace the soil. This not only helps conserve water where the plant is but helps control erosion. Interspersing coffee with other plants and trees also helps keep plants from washing away in the rainy season. The last advantage of terracing is that pickers have flat a place to walk when picking the beans. It probably also makes it easier for the inspector when he comes to certify that the coffee planter growing organic coffee in the shade is growing USDA organic coffee . Growing organic coffee in the shade helps protect the environment as a sustainable coffee growing technique. It typically reduces the need for the many artificial practices that can contaminate the end product, a delicious cup of coffee.
Fair Trade Products – Intro
Over the past few years, people have become more and more aware of fair trade and sustainability projects. Fair Trade is defined as a social project in which people from first-world countries believe that farmers and craft makers from third world countries should be paid the same amount as they would be paid for their products if they were to sell them somewhere like the United States. Also, people who support this like to make sure that the farmers and craftsmen are taught about sustainability projects in order to use their extra profits to help benefit the community. There are many requirements that have to be met in order to be a producer or someone who regulates it to make sure the producers get the money they are supposed to get. Most of the goods that are produced are chocolate, coffee, tea, handmade bags, leather journals, and other handcrafts. Buying these items is a good way to make sure you are buying quality products and that your money will go towards a good cause.
One of the criticisms of Fair Trade is that when a consumer buys a product they may not be sure that their money is going right to the farmers or producers. This is where the people who regulate come into the picture. The people who regulate are there to make sure that most of the profit from the purchase of a product goes to the farmer or producer involved in the program. These people also help the farmers, producers, and members of their communities use some of the money to create a project that is sustainable and environmentally friendly. The hope is that eventually farmers and producers who are apart of a community are able to support themselves and their communities. Another goal of this organization is to help get marginalized producers into the International market that may otherwise not have access to without the help of a middle-man organization. Finally, these communities can be anywhere where the people need help making good money for their products, but these areas are mostly located in Latin America, Eastern Africa, and Southern Asia.
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Shade Grown Organic Coffee
With shade grown organic coffee the consumer gets healthy organic coffee and the grower preserves the natural environment. First of all shade grown organic coffee is a return to historic and time tested growing techniques. Natural coffee strains grow best in partial or total shade. In fact, many plants dry out and die if planted in full sun. Thus coffee has traditionally been grown under a canopy of trees. This method of planting on hillsides helps prevent erosion as is still seen in regions of Colombia, Panama, and other parts of the world where coffee is grown on steep slopes. However, new sun tolerant coffee strains were introduced over the last two generations. These plants thrive in full sunlight and are capable of producing up to three times as many coffee beans as traditional coffee plants in a shaded environment. Unfortunately, in order to boost production rates growers use synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides to protect the monoculture of coffee that they plant. By taking coffee out of its more normal habitat growers subject it to the same risks as other field crops and orchards in which individual infective pests can enter and destroy a crop. Considering that it can take a decade for coffee plants to mature an infection or infestation that destroys plants can be devastating. Thus the coffee planter who ceases to produce shade grown organic coffee can find himself trapped in a never ending cycle of herbicide, pesticide, and synthetic fertilizer use. The consumers of this coffee pay the price.
Here are a few facts about organic coffee, especially the shade grown variety. Shade grown organic coffee has historically been grown in a mixed species forest that includes fruit and hardwood trees as well as other bushes and plants. Researchers have found up to forty different species of trees on traditional, organic coffee plantations. This mixture of trees helps maintain soil quality and provides habitat for numerous smaller plants as well as animals and birds. A mature plantation producing shade grown organic coffee is a mature ecosystem that is virtually self-sustaining. It does not require insecticides as birds and other animals living in the coffee forest consume the pests. It does not require large amount of synthetic fertilizers as the natural products of plant decomposition slowly leach into the soil to fertilize new plants and do not poison downstream water or the water table.
Small traditional farms produce shade grown organic coffee by planting coffee plants in existing forest. Likewise small growers will selectively clear forest in order to retain the canopy while providing room for coffee. Many planters starting with bare ground will plant plantain among coffee plants, letting the two species mature together. Both crops can be harvested and the plantain provides shade for the coffee. An additional benefit of planting multiple crops on the same ground is that the grower is not totally dependent on coffee prices for his income. In order to be assured that the coffee on the breakfast is table is organic coffee the consumer should look for proof of organic coffee certification. The USDA certifies coffee that is grown according to sustainable agricultural techniques. USDA shade grown organic coffee is labeled as such and provides the consumer with the reassurance that the organic coffee antioxidants in the morning cup of coffee are not contaminated with pesticide residue or traces of dangerous herbicides.
Fair Trade Coffee Prices – Intro
Coffee cooperatives are organizations collectively owned by their members, mostly coffee producers and workers. Members share a common vested interest in the coop’s success for the benefit of present and future generations. Each coop has a board of directors and other governing members that perform administrative tasks, manage resources, and promote safety, health, and education for all members.
The Central Piurana de Cafetaleros or CEPICAFE coop, founded in 1995, is headquartered in Piura, Peru. CEPICAFE represents thousands of coffee, sugar and fruit producers from more than 90 separate organizations from regions in Northwestern Peru. CEPICAFE is basically an umbrella organization for other producing organizations. CEPICAFE enjoys a reputation as a strong cooperative with solid objectives for growth, social improvements and environmentally focused practices.
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Organic Nescafe – Intro
Traditional coffee like Folders and the popular Spanish brand Nescafe have maintained that familiar, consistent great taste over the years. Despite pesticides and fertilizers harvested in the large, commercial coffee plantations they grow on, it manages to suit an average person’s tastes as evident by its sales. In justifying the high prices for organic coffee, many people point to its tastes as one of the main reasons. Does organic coffee taste better than traditional coffee?
To begin, organic coffee tastes better than traditional coffee because of the growing methods farmers use. Factors that weigh heavily with improved taste include shade grown and organic farming methods that are in force today that promote healthier soil, clean water, and habitats for birds that provide pest control. As an added bonus, organic coffee receives a taste boost if it is high-grown. Organic coffee under shade trees are the definition of “premium” in that fewer coffee cherries are produces unlike traditional coffee that grow under the sun. Because of this, organic coffee cherries grow slower and finer, and the difference is passed on to your I Love New York mug.
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Antioxidants in Black Organic Coffee
If you are just looking for a good cup of coffee antioxidants in black organic coffee may not be the first thing on your mind. Maybe you are happy to be drinking coffee free of synthetic fertilizer residue, traces of herbicides, and other contaminants that can be found in regular coffee. But, the facts about organic coffee include that it can be good for our health as well. You don’t need to drink coffee because it is healthy. You can just drink it because you like to. Many drink organic coffee because organic coffee is based upon sustainable growing techniques and tends to provide the small coffee planter a better income as he protects and preserves the earth.
Healthy organic coffee contains antioxidants. These natural chemicals like polyphenols or condensed tannins help prevent tooth decay as well as act as antioxidants. Antioxidants in black organic coffee have the potential to lessen cellular damage from aging, slow down atherosclerosis related inflammation, possibly treat age related conditions, and even reduce the likelihood of a number of serious medical conditions such as diabetes and certain types of cancer.
Antioxidants in black organic coffee provide the coffee drinker with a better option than regular coffee. As many as 133 contaminants can be found in a cup of regular coffee. The Australian Food Standards Authority found metals such as aluminum and zinc, pesticide residues, and many other unwelcome substances in commercially available regular coffee. Some of these chemicals are known to impair the immune system, cause liver problems, and are even related to certain types of cancer. By comparison antioxidants in black organic coffee in easy to find organic coffee brands can help prevent disease.
Recent research tells us that more organic coffee can lead to less diabetes . This has been known for years but only recently it was discovered by researchers at UCLA that high levels of the protein sex hormone-binding globulin are related to a drastic reduction in the incidence of Type II diabetes. The researchers found that individuals who drink four or more cups of coffee a day have a 56% lower incidence of Type II diabetes than individuals who do not drink coffee. Considering that more than twenty million American suffer from Type II diabetes this is a significant finding.
Antioxidants in black organic coffee are also helpful in preventing both prostate and colon cancer according other recent research. More organic coffee can lead to less colon cancer and drinking organic coffee reduces prostate cancer risk according to research. In each case long term studies showed than antioxidants in black organic coffee from the bean originally or created in the roasting process are related to lowered risk of these lethal diseases. So, as you enjoy your black organic coffee enjoy the fact that you may well be helping your health with each cup of antioxidants in black organic coffee. Not one will you be saving nature from the ravages of overly aggressive farming techniques you may be saving yourself for the ravages of disease as well.
Whole Foods – Intro
If you are looking for the best whole foods, bee pollen is definitely one of them. You’ve probably heard about its outstanding benefits. Physicians all over the world are even beginning to see it as one of the best dietary supplements because of its amazing nutritional values. It is a miracle food that contains perfect blend of all nutrients. Hence, it is referred to as a ‘perfect food’.
Bee pollen is the pollen grains obtained by honey bees from different species of plants. It encompasses almost all the vitamins and nutrients that cannot be produced that are proven to nourish and sustain the human body. It has been in use since the ancient times; the ancient Greeks and Romans called it the “life-giving dust”. It is actually a whole food that man cannot make artificially.
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Organic Decaf Coffee – Intro
Coffee, like all other crops, has the risk of having toxic chemical residues from the pesticides and artificial fertilizers used in its cultivation. Add to that the already present health risks involved with too much caffeine and you have a major concern for health conscious coffee lovers across the world. Can we ever look forward to enjoying a cup of coffee without having to worry about the threats of caffeine and the presence of harmful chemicals in our drinks? Well, the time is now because coffee that’s both organic and free from caffeine is already available.
Coffee Gone Green
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