UF study: Not all cups of coffee created equal

Kathy Ciotola
SUN STAFF WRITER

Got the jitters? They may be coming from your coffee cup, according to a new University of Florida study.

Most of us wouldn't pop three maximum-strength NoDoz caffeine pills all at once, said Bruce Goldberger, associate professor and director of toxicology with UF's department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine and an associate professor with the UF department of psychiatry.

But one 16-ounce "grande" cup of Starbucks' coffee may contain that much caffeine, he said.

Scientists at UF's College of Medicine recently bought coffee at a Starbucks Coffee over six consecutive days in Gainesville and found that the same type of coffee - Breakfast Blend - varied from 259 milligrams to 564 milligrams on different days.

That was almost twice as much as the weakest coffee they found, Dunkin Donuts regular, at 143 milligrams.

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Couple Offers Fair Trade Coffee

By: Jean Dunn October 22, 2003

GOSHEN - Naren Sonpal's two-year term of service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala ended in 2001, but he's still working to make the world a better place, one cup of coffee at a time.
A chemical engineer and a former Uniroyal employee, Naren owned and operated a hydraulic hose business for 20 years.

He was 55 when he sold that business and entered the Peace Corps, assigned to work with cooperatives of coffee and tea farmers in the Guatemalan highlands near Coban.

On his return, Naren and his wife, Gun, built a business on his experience in Guatemala and a subsequent trip to India, becoming roasters and blenders of 100 percent organic, shade-grown, Fair Trade coffees and purveyors of organic Fair Trade teas.

The Sonpals opened Coffee-Tea-Etc. in December of 2002 in the lower level of their Goshen home. Sacks of coffee beans from every corner of the globe are lined up near the couple's state-of-the-art drum roaster.

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Coffee May Protect Against Colon Cancer

TUESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDayNews) -- That morning cup of java might do more than just kickstart your day -- it could actually help protect you against colon cancer.

German researchers say they've found a highly active compound, called methylpyridinium, in coffee that may prevent colon cancer. In studies with animals, this potent antioxidant compound appears to boost the activity of phase II enzymes, which are believed to protect against colon cancer.

The study results appear in the Nov. 5 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Scientists have suspected for years that coffee may offer some cancer protection. This is the first study that's identified a specific, highly active anticancer compound in coffee.

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Sustaining the coffee world

22/10/03 - As trading nations get to grips with globalisation in the 21st century the issue of sustainability is increasingly compounded for commodities on today's market.

Nowhere is this more evident than for coffee - arguably one of the world’s most important cash crops, and vital to the livelihood of more than 25 million small coffee farmers.
After petroleum, coffee is one of the world’s most important commodities. This single crop represents more than 20 per cent of export earnings for nine developing countries and accounts for more than half of all export earnings in four countries but the world coffee market is suffering, highlights an extensive report from the World Bank.

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Hot Coffee Provides Grounds for Cooler Log

Source: GreenBiz.com

OTTAWA, Canada, Oct. 17, 2003 - Just in time for the cold weather, a Canadian manufacturer has introduced Java-Log, a fire log made from 100% recycled, spent coffee grounds. The product’s maker, Robustion Products, is betting its new way to use the world's most consumed beverage will appeal to environmentally conscientious consumers.

Java-Log burns for up to three hours while releasing a faint, sweet aroma. The log also produces 25% more energy and emits more than three times the flame capacity (per unit of wood) compared to wood, according to the company.

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Coffee With a Cause backs up name with action

By ROSE COX
Anchorage Daily News

Elaine Hamrick believes that if every person in Anchorage performed just one kind act each day, it could mean the end to hunger and homelessness in this city. But she's not content to wait around for that, and she's unwilling to accept the status quo in the meantime.

"In our country we have so much," she said. "Isn't it crazy that in this day and age there are people who are homeless?"

Last year, she and husband Kenneth Hamrick purchased a drive-up espresso shop, Coffee With a Cause, for the sole purpose of donating the net proceeds to Alaska Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity.

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