In praise of coffee (was: Re: Re: Caramel Sauce)

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> Misty,> How did you manage to give up the caffeine, if I might ask? I only> drink tea, and pretty weak at that, but over the course of a day I> drink quite a few cups of it. I know I would be better off without> it, though. Did you sort of taper off, go brute force, or just after> two year on the diet not really want it any more? I am not at 2> years but tomorrow is my 1st anniversary.>> Thanks, >> I successfully use Lactaid treated Heavy Cream in my coffee. I didn't> try until I had been on the diet almost 2 years though. But I don't> drink coffee much anymore. 52 days caffiene free YAY! Well last week> I had a half cup of coffee on 2 separate days.> Misty KimbleI'm curious why you don't drink coffee anymore. Does it bother your digestive system? Do you think it's bad for you in other ways?The old canard about caffeine being terrible for you (and coffee in general being so) has proven not to be true. In fact, it has a lot of benefits. Coffee drinkers are 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's disease than non-coffee drinkers, according to six different studies. Most recently studies have shown that coffee drinkers have roughly 40% fewer cancers. It can also help prevent the neuro-degeneration associated with brain disorders and aging (that info came out very recently).Excerpt from "Coffee's mysterious benefits mount" (LiveScience.com):>...Women who drank one to three cups of java a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent, according to the Iowa Women's Health Study that tracked 27,000 women for 15 >years, although it was noted that this benefit diminished as the quantity of coffee rose above three cups. >And while coffee has been given a bad rap for supposedly upping the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease, scientific studies have revealed the contrary. Drinking coffee lowers the risk of stroke >by 19 percent among women, according to a 2009 Harvard Medical School study that tracked the coffee habits and stroke occurrences among 83,000 American women for nearly a quarter >century. >The risk of some cancers may be cut by drinking coffee. Research presented at the 2009 American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference showed >that coffee cut male coffee drinkers' risk of aggressive prostate cancer by 60 percent, based on a 20-year study of 50,000 men. >And people who drink coffee reduce their risk of developing liver cancer by 41 percent, compared to people who never drink coffee, according to a study in the journal Hepatology. The researchers >theorized that compounds found in coffee may block the action of enzymes involved in detoxifying carcinogenic compounds that may lead to liver cancer, the third largest cause of cancer deaths >around the world, after lung and stomach cancer. >Other recent studies have shown that coffee is protective against certain brain tumors, endometrial cancer and advanced prostate cancer, Hashibe said. >While it is true that some of the chemicals present in a cup of joe may be gastrointestinal irritants, coffee is not as much of a cause of heartburn and acid reflux as previously believed. Scientists >have actually identified a chemical in coffee, called N-methylpyridinium, which inhibits acid production. The compound is more common in dark roasts like espresso and French roast blends, >according to the Research Platform of Molecular Food Science at the University of Vienna.So why stop drinking coffee? :-)n, who roasts and grinds her own   -- Now available. A fine gift for cat lovers:Confessions of a Cataholic: My Life With the 10 Cats Who Caused My Addictionby n Van Tilwww.wordpowerpublishing.com ; signed copies; free shipping in U.S., reduced shipping elsewhere