Coffee - Did You Know?

This week's coffee segment is a little different, as we tried to tie it in to the 13WMAZ Hero Central Food Drive. So, I thought since the segment was a little light on facts and fun stuff about our favorite morning that I should make up for it here on the weekly blog.

Did you know that:

• 1,200 different chemical components make up coffee. More than half of these components make up the distinguished flavor of a given coffee.
• 91% of coffee consumed is taken at breakfast. And sometimes is breakfast, (which isn't good folks). Have some fruit or whole grains with your coffee to ensure you get your day off on the right foot.
• Mocha is the name of the sea port that was on the route to Mecca, which is where trades of coffee took place. Coffee was a well guarded commodity no one was allowed take fertile coffee plants out of the country.
• When it is in bloom, the coffee tree is covered with 30,000 white flowers which begin to develop into fruit after 24 - 36 hours.
• Coffee is the second most widely used product in the world after oil.
• The notorious French Revolution was actually initiated in a coffeehouse. On July 1789, Camille Desmoulins jumped onto a table at the Palais Royal café and motivated the mob to rebel against the French aristocracy.
• To date, there are over one billion coffee drinkers on the planet. The rest don’t know what they’re missing out on.

These facts were gathered from Stumblerz.com, Just About Coffee and Wild Bean Cafe.

Coffee & The Common Cold

You may have noticed that I had very little to do, in front of the scenes, on this week's Mornin' Grind. Why? Because I've been very under the weather with a nasty spring cold. I lost my voice, so couldn't even add that to the segment. So, it's a very Mallie-less, episode.

So, in order to be part of the Grind this week, I'm here writing my weekly blog. And I couldn't think of a better subject right now than coffee and the common cold. Right now many of us are suffering with colds or allergies, and avid coffee drinkers might be wondering how their morning cup of joe works alongside the sniffles and sneezes.

There's some debate over the good or bad effect of coffee on those suffering with a cold. The Mayo Clinic advises us to stay away from "alcohol, coffee and caffeinated sodas, which make dehydration worse."

While caffeine in and of itself is a diuretic, which will cause you to feel dehydrated if you are not taking in enough fluid, there are also some properties in coffee that can aid you in your struggle against the common cold.

Caffeine is an ingredient in several pain medications, and the caffeine in your coffee works no differently. Just as a jolt of coffee can sometimes aid in easing a budding headache, it can do the same for the minor aches and pains that often come with a cold. Also, whenever I have a sore throat, which often accompanies a cold, warm liquids, in general, ease my discomfort.

Use your best judgment when deciding whether or not to indulge in a cup of coffee when you have a cold. Remember that the caffeine in coffee can be dehydrating, so you'll need to ensure you're getting in plenty of fluids (which you should do whether or not you drink coffee when you a cold). But also remember this...if a cup of coffee in the morning makes you feel better in general, it just might make you feel a little bit better when you're feeling under the weather.

Here's hoping I'll be back up to snuff for next week's segment.

Mallie