Coffee Thoughts

Since I first began to drink coffee in my university years, more as a way to survive those all-night paper-writing sessions than because I enjoyed the drink, coffee has been alternately condemned as an addictive substance, detrimental to our health, and praised as having health benefits when used in the right quantities.

Coffee does contain caffeine, a known stimulant.  People find it helpful for waking up in the morning and when they’re feeling tired during the day.  Many office workers take a coffee break when they have low energy.  For people who want to enjoy the flavor of coffee with minimum stimulation, decaffeinated coffee is available.   But, if you ask me, “decaf” and other coffee substitutes can’t match regular coffee for flavour and aroma.

Yes, over the years I’ve grown to love the taste and the experience of my morning coffee.  I have become one of those people who can’t start the day without at least one, and preferably several, cups of the dark, full-bodied brew.  From the pungent aroma of coffee brewing, to the promising sounds of the steaming hot beverage splashing into my favourite ceramic mug, to that first delicious almost-too-hot sip, there’s nothing I don’t appreciate about my morning coffee.  I wander into the sunroom with my first cupful in hand each morning, gaze out at Nature’s beauties as I savour the first bracing taste, and suddenly all is well with my world.

But then, there are those justifying pros and worrisome cons about coffee and caffeine that I’ve been hearing about since my university days, that periodically increase or decrease the pleasure.  The anti-oxidants in coffee may help us fight cancer.  Four or five cups a day may prevent gallstones (didn't work for me).  The stimulant properties of my favourite brew may improve athletic performance.  The same properties, stimulating the central nervous system, are reputed to improve mental skills and keep us awake and alert during long or dull tasks.

Among the cons associated with coffee use is interference with calcium absorption, contributing to weaker bones.  Fortunately, the effects of coffee on calcium absorption can be offset with a tablespoon or two of milk per cup of coffee consumed.  Bring on the lattes, I say.  Coffee may complicate pregnancy … but another study claims that moderate coffee use has no effect on successful pregnancy rates.  Caffeine may keep us awake.  This, obviously, could be beneficial in some instances and detrimental in others.  And finally, the caffeine fix every morning soon becomes addictive.

 I’ve read that Islamic monks in Yemen brewed the first cup of coffee in 1200 AD.  It was soon prepared regularly to facilitate prayer and meditation (and to soothe the monks’ addiction to the drink?).  The caffeine was understood, even then, to stimulate the monks’ minds and increase their mental clarity.  I’m all for a drink that tastes delicious and has potential to increase the benefits of spiritual experiences.

Coffee, therefore, must be a gift from God to help us sleepy and easily distracted human beings get through life more efficiently and stay connected to the Being who provided the heavenly elixir in the first place.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!