Lemon is considered an excellent addition to tea, but not all coffee lovers know that when properly prepared, coffee with lemon combines a mild bitterness and light sourness in its taste, which can be balanced with sugar or honey. The combination will not only be tasty, but if consumed in moderation, it will also be healthy.
Attention! Before adding to coffee, lemon should be scalded with boiling water and wiped dry to remove the preservative that is used to coat the peel for long-term storage. If this is not done, oily stains may appear on the surface.
Benefits of coffee with lemon
Lemon juice partially neutralizes the effect of caffeine and enriches the drink with vitamin C. In turn, this leads to a number of positive changes in the body:
- gives vigor and a surge of strength;
- stimulates metabolism, helping in the fight against excess weight;
- slows down aging.
Contraindications. Coffee with lemon is harmful for stomach ulcers, gastritis, coronary heart disease and hypertension. Healthy people are recommended to drink no more than 1-2 servings per day.
Harm of coffee for women
Coffee may increase the risk of developing benign tumors in the mammary glands. The cause of this disease is hormonal imbalance. Grains contain a lot of plant estrogens. The drink stimulates the growth of fibrous tissue in which seals form.
Coffee is contraindicated for women with the following diseases:
- myoma;
- endometriosis;
- polycystic ovary syndrome.
Women who suffer from pain in the mammary glands during premenstrual syndrome should use the drink with caution. Caffeine dilates blood vessels, which causes increased pain.
Women who consume high doses of caffeine daily are 70% more likely to suffer from urinary incontinence, which often develops during pregnancy and childbirth. Researchers from the University of Alabama came to this conclusion in 2010. This effect is associated not only with the diuretic effect of the alkaloid, but also with its ability to relax muscles.
Scientists from the University of Nevada concluded that caffeine may reduce women's fertility by interfering with the normal contraction of the fallopian tubes and the movement of the egg.
Too high doses of caffeine provoke the development of stress, panic and feelings of constant anxiety. The alkaloid blocks the work of adenosine receptors, which produce the hormone responsible for sleep. In women with increased nervousness, excess caffeine only makes the problem worse.
Turkish coffee with lemon (classic)
A drink with a bright citrus aroma and sourness, it perfectly replaces your morning dose of coffee.
Ingredients:
- water – 150 ml;
- ground coffee – 1 heaped teaspoon;
- lemon – 1 slice;
- sugar (preferably cane) – 3 teaspoons.
Recipe
1. Melt sugar in a turk, add water and coffee. Mix.
2. Boil the coffee on the stove until foam appears and immediately remove from heat. After 15-20 seconds, repeat the procedure.
3. Pour the coffee into a cup. Squeeze the juice of a lemon wedge; the wedge itself can be placed in a cup for a citrus aroma. Mix. Let it brew for 2-3 minutes.
How to choose and store coffee correctly
Coffee is sold in the form of beans or already ground, as well as instant: granulated, freeze-dried, depending on the type of processing.
Most companies that sell packaged or bulk coffee are resellers, not producers. All information about the origin of the grains should be studied on the packaging - the more detailed the content, the more conscientious the selling company.
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The composition should not contain flavors, dyes or other additives, only grains. Strength and bitterness depend on the variety. If Robusta is specified, the drink will be bitter and rich in caffeine, if Arabica is softer and more aromatic, but it contains less caffeine. Typically, manufacturers mix Robusta and Arabica.
The aroma is best preserved in an airtight container, so bulk coffee tends to be less aromatic. Coffee beans can be stored for about a year in a dark glass or ceramic jar, in a cool, dry place, but not in the refrigerator. The aroma of ground beans quickly dissipates, so the shelf life of such coffee is shorter. If the coffee is “out of steam”, you can grind it even finer or add more to the drink.
Coffee with lemon in English
The simplest recipe, reminiscent of brewing tea, hence the name.
Ingredients:
- ground coffee - 2 tablespoons;
- water – 200 ml;
- sugar (honey) - to taste;
- lemon – 1-2 slices.
Recipe
1. Brew coffee in a French press or any coffee maker. If necessary, strain from the grounds.
2. Pour into a cup, add sugar or honey to taste. Mix. Let it brew for 1-2 minutes.
3. Place 1-2 lemon slices in a cup.
Effects of caffeine on the body
Coffee beans contain large amounts of caffeine. It is a psychostimulant - a substance that excites nerve cells. Absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, caffeine, along with the blood, first reaches the brain. It stimulates the activity of nerve centers, which is reflected in the dilation of blood vessels, increased functioning of the organs of the excretory system, increased heart rate and pulse rate.
However, caffeine in large quantities provokes the opposite effect - it inhibits the functioning of the nervous system. Therefore, the harm from coffee to a woman’s body becomes noticeable with frequent consumption of the drink.
The benefits of coffee for women's health lie in the high content of vitamins and essential oils in its beans. Therefore, cake from coffee residues is added to cosmetics: belongings, face masks, wraps and shampoos. When applied topically, they improve metabolism in body tissues, increase skin tone and eliminate cosmetic imperfections. For coffee-based products to be useful for a woman, their use must be systematic and not spontaneous.
There is a lot of debate among scientists about the usefulness of coffee consumed in a reasonable amount. It is believed that this drink prevents the development of cancer. The fact is that its grains contain cafeol, cafestol and antioxidants, which are beneficial for the body, as they protect cells from becoming malignant. This has been repeatedly confirmed by research results.
Caffeine can have mutagenic and genotoxic effects, which pose a risk of cancer. Therefore, there is no consensus among scientists about the benefits of coffee.
Drinks made from chicory
Most often, chicory root is used as food in one of three forms :
- liquid;
- soluble;
- ground fried.
Due to the peculiarities of production, liquid chicory retains a large amount of useful substances . In addition, it is in this form that it is most convenient to store it. How is liquid chicory made?
At the first stage of production, beneficial substances are extracted from the root of the plant, which, in fact, give the taste and aroma to the drink. This process is repeated several times. Each time, the extract obtained at the previous extraction stage is taken as the starting product. After several cycles, a large amount of water is obtained, which is not recycled, but is evaporated using a special evaporation unit. And only after all these manipulations are completed, liquid chicory extract is obtained.
The first stages of making soluble chicory are similar to the production of liquid chicory. First, the beneficial substances from the plant root are extracted, but instead of evaporating the remaining liquid, spray drying is performed. As a result, excess water disappears, and the dry residue is chicory powder.
It should be noted that soluble chicory is sensitive to storage conditions. At high humidity, it oxidizes with loss of beneficial properties and the formation of lumps. Therefore, preference should be given to vacuum packaging, which prevents the penetration of moisture.
Ground (or roasted) chicory is the most natural, healthy, tasty and aromatic of all types of chicory. As the name suggests, to make it, the root of the plant is crushed and fried. Actually, this is all the processing.
What does instant chicory taste like?
The taste of a solution of chicory root, used instead of coffee, is similar to something between herbal tea and golden-brown baked goods with a crust; it has a roasted smell with notes of bitterness and sweetness, without acid. It only vaguely resembles coffee aroma, but can replace a harmful tonic in the diet.
Chicory is drunk instead of coffee with various additives to improve taste:
- with honey and sugar;
- spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, star anise;
- carob, cocoa or coffee;
- slices of lemon or orange;
- caramel, chocolate and nut syrup.
It is recommended to avoid combination with natural milk and give preference to plant-based options - almond, soy. You can add butter or coconut oil to your drink to enrich and enhance its medicinal properties.
What types and varieties are there?
Coffee is an evergreen tropical shrub with white flowers that have a scent reminiscent of jasmine. The coffee beans we are used to are contained inside red berries - two in each.
Every morning, millions of people on the planet start their day with a cup of invigorating coffee - a drink made from roasted and crushed seeds of the coffee plant. There are many varieties of coffee, but they all represent only 2 product categories: Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica is a species native to the Arabian Peninsula. It is the most ancient of the cultivated ones, and the most popular in the modern world (it occupies almost 70% of the market). Arabica beans are large, slightly elongated and flattened. The taste of Arabica may differ depending on the quality of the soil, weather conditions, and temperature conditions in which the coffee plant developed. Ethiopian Arabica is known for its soft and delicate flavor with a floral aftertaste. Kenyan beans are recognized by their sharper and bitter taste; beans from Latin America are also bitter, but have a cocoa aroma and leave behind a nutty aftertaste. Some of the most popular varieties in the world are varieties grown in Colombia. Their distinctive feature is the taste of walnuts.
Robusta, or graying coffee tree, is native to the Congo. Compared to Arabica, these varieties are more resistant to weather conditions and diseases, require less care, but are inferior in taste. Ripe grains are small and round.
There is another known coffee tree - Liberian, or Liberica, which is not so popular because it has a worse taste and aroma than other types. Liberica accounts for no more than 2% of the global coffee market.
Drinks with sour fruit
Lemon juice, zest or segments are found in espresso romano (Roman style) and Sicilian coffee. They are easy to prepare at home. It is correct to drink drinks before or after meals, and not to wash down food with them.
For example, for Sicilian coffee you will need only 10 g of ground coffee, 120 ml of water, 1 spoon of sugar, cinnamon on the tip of a knife and 1 spoon of lemon juice or lemon zest. Coffee is prepared in Turk. It is ready when it just starts to boil. Then it is poured into a cup, and then sugar, cinnamon and juice are added there.
To refresh the taste of espresso and make it unusual, add 5 ml of lemon juice or a little sprinkle. Decorate with zest.
Which is healthier: real coffee or chicory?
Many people wonder whether root extract can replace coffee in terms of health benefits and how they differ from chicory. The main difference is the presence of caffeine and theobromine in sweet beans, while they are not present in the field plant. Otherwise, the composition does not make much difference: chicory contains sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, vitamins B, A, C and PP, as well as bitter and tannin compounds.
Coffee is distinguished by a soft, non-herbaceous bitterness, noble shades of chocolate, nuts and fruits in the flavor and aromatic bouquet, pronounced sourness and thickness. Chicory does not have such an organoleptic palette - it is almost completely dissolved in water, does not leave sediment or a long aftertaste.
The main differences between the drinks are:
- coffee raises blood pressure and stimulates the heart, has an antioxidant effect, promotes concentration, improves body odor;
- chicory - relaxes and dilates blood vessels, fights parasites, stimulates the liver;
- both drinks support the excretory system, normalize acidity, and promote bodily cleansing.
It is impossible to say unequivocally which is better: coffee or a drink made from chicory; they are not equivalent in their properties and are noticeably different. Doctors advise alternating both drinks in your menu and taking into account individual indications. If, due to the condition of the patient’s liver or kidneys, a chicory drink is not suitable, they offer cereal options or carob.
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It is often suggested to replace coffee with chicory: they say it is healthier, and chicory does not contain caffeine. If you like chicory, then this is an excellent alternative to coffee: it really does not contain caffeine, and you can drink it without fear after lunch or in the evening, without the risk of excessive stimulation of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
In terms of the content of nutritional components, chicory root can be considered more useful: a good amount of fiber (8 grams per 100 grams of product), potassium, manganese and vitamin B6.
But the amount of microelements that you get with a couple of spoons of chicory processed into a drink will be much less. Therefore, you should not attribute to chicory the wonderful properties of a superfood or vitamin concentrate.
If you're choosing chicory instead of coffee to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume (for medical reasons or when switching to a new diet), then pay attention to other drinks and foods in your diet. Caffeine is not only found in coffee.
Remember the following values:
- The caffeine content in 1 cup of black coffee (200 ml volume) is 90 mg;
- In a jar of “energy” (250 ml) – 80 mg;
- In a cup of espresso (60ml) - 80 mg;
- In a cup of black tea (220 ml) - 50 mg;
- In a can of cola (355 ml) - 40 mg;
- In a cup of green tea (200 ml) - 30 mg;
- 50g of regular chocolate - 30 mg;
- 50g of milk chocolate contains 10 mg.
Let’s remember the average “safe” amounts of caffeine:
- Adults can take up to 200 mg at a time. The total amount of caffeine per day should be up to 400 mg per day (based on BDA data), and according to WHO - up to 300 mg per day. If you consume more than 600 mg of caffeine per day, you can get side effects: insomnia, increased irritability, increased blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems (heartburn, flatulence).
- Pregnant women can consume up to 200 mg of caffeine per day.
- Children under 4 years of age should avoid caffeine.
- Children over 4 years old/adolescents: at a rate of no more than 3 mg/kg body weight (maximum 45 mg per day).
Even the safe doses of caffeine that we wrote about above can cause individual adverse reactions. Monitor your condition!
If you do not exceed the specified doses of caffeine in your diet, you have no complaints, then there is no urgent need to replace coffee with chicory - only if chicory has not become your favorite drink. It is important to maintain balance and moderation in everything.
Interesting facts about chicory
- Chicory was eaten in ancient Egypt and Rome, both in the form of salads and as a medicine. Thus, the Romans used chicory as a means of normalizing digestion, and the Egyptians used it as an antidote against the venom of snakes and spiders.
- In some countries they believe that chicory can make a person invisible.
- Chicory flowers are an excellent honey plant, as they contain a lot of pollen.
- Avicenna in his medical practice used chicory root to prepare medicines for diseases of the digestive organs, joints, and eyes.
Origin: legends and scientific facts
Search the World Wide Web with the query “Origin of coffee” and the search engine will return several million pages with stories on this topic. And in many cases, the date when humanity first tried this drink “walks” within several centuries. Somewhere they call it the 5th century, somewhere the 11th or 13th century. And the most famous legend about coffee dates us back to the year 850. According to legend, one day the Ethiopian shepherd Kaldi noticed that his goats, having tasted the dark green leaves and red fruits of one of the bushes, began to behave very strangely. The animals jumped and frolicked. The shepherd tried the berries himself, and soon learned about the powerful effect of coffee beans.
Content:
- Origin: legends and scientific facts
- What types and varieties are there?
- Most popular types
- The benefits and harms of coffee
- A Few Hard Facts: Potential Coffee Dangers
- Is a caffeine-free drink healthy?
- Application in cosmetology
And now some facts from researchers. Scientists believe that the coffee plant first appeared on the plateau of central Ethiopia, in a region known as Kaffe. By the way, in the traditions of the Ethiopian Galla tribe, the tradition of consuming “energy balls” made from animal fats and soaked coffee berries has been preserved to this day.
Over time, the culture spread to the lands of Yemen, Cairo, and Mecca. On the Arabian Peninsula, coffee became the favorite fruit of monks. They consumed an infusion of berries and leaves to stay alert during hours of nightly prayer. It is believed that they were the first to think of roasting and grinding grains.
By the 16th century, coffee had become known in Turkey, and the product quickly spread throughout the Ottoman Empire. In the 17th century, Venetian merchants brought aromatic grains to Europe, but the Catholic Church greeted the drink with caution. Advisers urged Pope Clement VIII to declare coffee the “devilish” drink. But the Pope refused and he himself got hooked on the Arabic energy drink. And when Europe became captivated by the coffee aroma, Arab traders, in order to maintain a monopoly on the cultivation and supply of goods, doused them with boiling water before sending the beans to Europe.
It is believed that the very first coffee shop appeared in Istanbul, where coffee became an integral part of the local culture.
Although, according to another assumption, the first establishments where the drink was brewed appeared in Mecca. The first European coffee shops appeared in Venice, but none of them have survived to this day. But in the German city of Leipzig, today you can visit the oldest Coffee House in Europe, opened back in 1694.
