   |  | | How is coffee affecting your life? | By Mike Magee, MD
If you are like millions of Americans, you start your day with a cup – or two or three – of coffee. But even if it is part of your daily routine, it makes sense to stop and ask a few questions. How much do you know about your morning pick-me-up? Do you ever think about where it comes from or how it’s affecting your body?
The coffee shrub hails from east Africa and was introduced in the Americas in the 1700s. Today, coffee is cultivated by some 25 million farmers and coffee workers in more than 50 countries. Worldwide annual coffee consumption is more than 12 billion pounds, and the United States accounts for 23% of this. The average U.S. coffee drinker, and there are about 130 million of us, gulps down 3.2 cups a day.1
But just how does coffee get into our cups and mugs? The global commodity chain involves a string of producers, middlemen, exporters, importers, roasters, and retailers before coffee reaches the consumer. Approximately 27 million acres are devoted to coffee worldwide, with the largest producers and exporters being Brazil, Colombia, and Indonesia. Around the world, coffee is produced on both large plantations and by small farmers.1
Most small farmers sell their coffee directly to middlemen exporters who pay them below market price for their harvests and keep a high percentage for themselves. This forces these farmers into a cycle of poverty that keeps working conditions poor, wages low, and often involves child labor. Coffee workers are usually paid the equivalent to sweatshop wages and they toil under harsh conditions.1,2,3
With all of this in mind, we’re left with two major questions about coffee. One, is it good or bad for your health? And two, what about the health and well-being of the coffee farmers and workers around the world?
On question one, you might be shocked to find out that coffee has the “okay” from many health organizations.4,5 It is full of antioxidants that dampen inflammation and are believed to be positive and preventive when it comes to chronic diseases. In a recent issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researcher Rune Blomhoff from the University of Oslo said, “We were surprised to learn that coffee quantitatively is the major contributor of antioxidants in the diet both in Norway and in the USA.”6 This came as quite a surprise to all those gulping down grape juice, blueberries, raspberries and oranges. Who knew that their daily coffee routine had them more than covered with 1,299 milligrams?7 Then there’s the caffeine. Once it’s ingested, it’s rapidly absorbed into the blood stream in 30 to 45 minutes, and takes 4 to 6 hours for most of it to be eliminated. While it’s in the body, it affects brain blood flow, blood pressure, respiratory function, stomach and bowel activity, urine volume, and exercise performance. Mentally, low to moderate doses increase well being, happiness, energy, alertness, and sociability.8,9
Higher doses cause anxiety, jitteriness and upset stomach. Pregnant women and women wanting to become pregnant are discouraged from drinking too much coffee because it could cause early delivery or have adverse effects on fertility.8,9
Back to the question of coffee farmers and workers. Enter the Fair Trade coffee movement, a partnership between consumers and coffee growers to ensure that the growers receive a fair price for their coffee in order to make a living wage. If a farmer gets Fair Trade Certification, he can sell his coffee as a member of the Fair Trade Register and earn much more than selling in the traditional manner.10,11 If you’re a coffee drinker, your daily routine automatically connects you with coffee farmers. Buy Fair Trade coffee, and you’re bound to drink a little easier knowing that you’ve helped those farmers get the funding and healthier lives they deserve.
For Health Commentary, I’m Mike Magee.
References
1. Global Exchange. Frequently Asked Questions About Fair Trade Coffee. 14 Nov. 2007.
2. Starbucks. Buying Coffee for Starbucks. 2008.
3. Peet’s Coffee and Tea. Meet the Roasters.
4. American Heart Association. Caffeine. 12 Aug. 2008.
5. CNN.com. Dietitians look at health effects of coffee. 21 Oct. 1999.
6. Andersen LF, et al. Consumption of coffee is associated with reduced risk of death attributed to inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases in the Iowa Women's Health Study. Am J Clinical Nutrition. 2006; 83:1039-1046.
7. Associated Press. Coffee a top source of healthy antioxidants. 12 Sept. 2005.
8. Mayo Clinic. Caffeine: How Much Is Too Much? 20 June 2008.
9. Juliano LM, Griffiths RR. A critical review of caffeine withdrawal: empirical validation of symptoms and signs, incidence, severity, and associated features. Psychopharmacology. 2004; 176:1-29.
10. TransFairUSA. Fair Trade Certified – Coffee Program. 30 Aug. 2007.
11. TransFairUSA. Fast Facts.
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