New Delhi:&nbsp;Who doesn't love a good cup of coffee? Whether it be an early morning aperitif to start your day or something to relax that hardened body after a busy day in the office, or maybe a simple hot cuppa to have on a rainy day. Coffee has been consumed for centuries. Many swear by it as well.Coffee by itself is a known concoction of a multitude of chemicals, the most famous being caffeine, other chemicals present include chlorogenic acid, putrescine, among others. Manufacture of coffee entails the usage of multiple chemicals, fertilisers, insecticides, among others. Thus simple coffee is a powerhouse of chemicals.Many have asked me whether coffee can cause cancer. Conventional wisdom would say that excessive consumption would somehow be associated with the dreaded disease. Anything in excess would be deleterious, why should coffee be different.However, studies suggest something else, a few studies done on the topic show that coffee is not associated with cancers in general. A few studies have been associating coffee with the risk of bladder cancer and lung cancer, but no conclusive evidence has been obtained.In colorectal cancer, liver cancer and breast cancer, coffee has also been shown to have a protective effect.Now, one must understand that none of these is absolute, and a lot more studies are needed regarding this to prove a protective or destructive association conclusively. Polyphenols present in coffee are known to have a beneficial effect in preventing cancer and other diseases such as hypertension and heart disease; while acrylamide present is known to be carcinogenic with an association seen with lung and bladder and blood cancers.A study published in 2020 did a meta-analysis of all the previous studies done to try and search for the association between cancer and coffee consumption. After studying a total of 36 different papers on the same, they came to the conclusion that coffee was in fact protective against endometrial cancer, liver cancer, melanomas, oral cancer and pharyngeal cancers. Coffee had some association with urinary bladder cancers and a possible association with lung cancer. The International Agency for Cancer Research also agreed upon the above findings with regard to the reduced risk of cancer with a special emphasis on liver cancer and endometrial cancer. They could find no positive association between any cancer forms conclusively.Finally, I would like to share my opinion on the whole conundrum of coffee and cancer. The most common answer I would give my patients who ask these questions would be that coffee is safe! It had been consumed by our ancestor's eons back and continues to be consumed now. Any item consumed in excess is harmful, and coffee is the same. Small quantities make no difference. Many studies carried out to try to find associations between certain items and diseases, and some may be overstating that association as well. We should not read too much into each article we find, rather critique it with a stable head. Over a nice hot cup of coffee!—IANS

Who doesn't love a good cup of coffee? Whether it be an early morning aperitif to start your day or something to relax that hardened body after a busy day in the office, or maybe a simple hot cuppa to have on a rainy day. Coffee has been consumed for centuries. Many swear by it as well.

Is your coffee giving you cancer?

Washington: A recent study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, has revealed that adults who consume upto 1.5 to 3.5 litres of coffee per day, with or without sugar, have less chances to die as compared to those adults who do not drink coffee, at all. Previous studies observing the health effects of coffee have found that coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of death but did not distinguish between unsweetened coffee and coffee consumed with sugar or artificial sweeteners.Researchers from Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China used data from the U.K. Biobank study health behaviour questionnaire to evaluate the associations of consumption of sugar-sweetened, artificially sweetened, and unsweetened coffee with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. More than 171,000 participants from the UK without known heart disease or cancer were asked several dietary and health behaviour questions to determine coffee consumption habits. The authors found that during the 7-year follow-up period, participants who drank any amount of unsweetened coffee were 16 to 21 percent less likely to die than participants who did not drink coffee.They also found that participants who drank 1.5 to 3.5 daily cups of coffee sweetened with sugar were 29 to 31 percent less likely to die than participants who did not drink coffee. The authors noted that adults who drank sugar-sweetened coffee added only about 1 teaspoon of sugar per cup of coffee on average. Results were inconclusive for participants who used artificial sweeteners in their coffee. Any accompanying editorial by the editors of Annals of Internal Medicine notes that while coffee has qualities that could make health benefits possible, confounding variables including more difficult to measure differences in socioeconomic status, diet, and other lifestyle factors may impact findings. The authors add that the participant data is at least 10 years old and collected from a country where tea is a similarly popular beverage.They caution that the average amount of daily sugar per cup of coffee recorded in this analysis is much lower than specialty drinks at popular coffee chain restaurants, and many coffee consumers may drink it in place of other beverages that make comparisons to non-drinkers more difficult. Based on this data, clinicians can tell their patients that there is no need for most coffee drinkers to eliminate the beverage from their diet but to be cautious about higher calorie specialty coffees.—ANI

A recent study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, has revealed that adults who consume upto 1.5 to 3.5 litres of coffee per day, with or without sugar, have less chances to die as compared to those adults who do not drink coffee, at all. Previous studies observing the health effects of coffee have found that coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of death but did not distinguish between unsweetened coffee and coffee consumed with sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Coffee drinkers undergo lower risks of death: Study

New Delhi: Coffee chain operator Tata Starbucks Ltd has reported a 76 percent growth in revenue to Rs 636 crore for 2021-22 and ''significantly'' reduced its net loss, driven by normalization of operations following the easing of COVID-related restrictions.Its revenue growth was led by higher realization from existing stores and new stores added during the financial year ended on March 31, 2022, as per the latest annual report of Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL).''Revenue from Operations at Rs 636 crores, grew by 76 percent and net loss declined significantly,'' TCPL said while sharing details of the performance of its JV. However, it did not specify the net loss for FY22. It ''saw a strong recovery since re-opening following the second wave of the pandemic'' and accelerated its store openings during the year with 50 new stores, the highest number of store openings in a single year so far. The company now has 268 stores across 26 cities.Formed in 2012, Tata Starbucks is a 50:50 joint venture between Starbucks Corporation and Tata group's FMCG arm Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL). ''During the financial year 2021-22, the Company has invested several Rs 86 crore towards equity capital,'' TCPL added. ''As COVID restrictions eased through the year, robust sequential recovery of sales was achieved and added 50 new stores with expansion into 8 new cities. The new stores are a mix of landmark store openings viz., Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Jio World Drive in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, and Brahmaputra Riverfront in Guwahati, and smaller footprint stores,'' it said. Moreover, the loyalty program My Starbucks Rewards' member base witnessed a growth of 21 percent last year. It boasts of a loyalty base of close to 1.1 million customers. ''Tata Starbucks focused on innovation, digital and deep customer connections to navigate this pandemic and make the Starbucks experience as engaging and personalized as ever,'' it added.Its delivery vertical continues to perform well even after the easing of dine-in restrictions. ''The business was able to deliver breakeven at the operating profit level before depreciation and amortization (EBITDA),'' it said. As COVID restrictions eased through the year, Tata Starbucks witnessed a robust sequential recovery of sales in the business and by March, the store operation index reached 95 percent, it said. ''We also saw an increase in average daily transactions on our delivery channel with the restrictions, and the levels stabilized higher versus pre-COVID even as the restrictions eased,'' the company said.—PTI

Coffee chain operator Tata Starbucks Ltd has reported a 76 percent growth in revenue to Rs 636 crore for 2021-22 and ''significantly'' reduced its net loss, driven by normalization of operations following the easing of COVID-related restrictions.

Tata Starbucks revenue up 76 pc to Rs 636 cr in FY22

New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Minister of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Shri Parshottam Rupala launched a unique coffee table book titled ‘Fish &amp; Seafood—a collection of 75 gourmet recipes’ here today. In an effort to boost the domestic consumption of fish and seafood, along with popularizing the local fish species, the Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has come up with this initiative. The book was launched in august presence of both the Minister of States (MoS) Dr L. Murugan and Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Shri Jatindra Nath Swain, Secretary; Shri Sagar Mehra,Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries); Shri J Balaji, Joint Secretary (Marine Fisheries), other Department officials, PMC to PMMSY and Special Guest Celebrity chef Shri Kunal Kapur. The coffee table book and its launch event are a part of the ongoing celebration of 75 glorious years of India's Independence, under the campaign Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The recipe book is a highlight of the diversity of fish available within the domestic water bodies and the fish culinary heritage of the country that signifies the diverse cooking and eating styles across the country.
At the launching ceremony of the Coffee table Book, Shri Rupala congratulated the Department for ideating the book and representing it in an interesting manner that captures the essence and amalgamation of Indian ‘Rasoi’, various traditional fish festivals and culture. Dr. L Murugan, MoS in his congratulatory speech shared how the recipes of Tamil Nadu in the book made him nostalgic through a time-travel to the mouth-watering coastal fish delicacies. Shri Jatindra Nath Swain also spoke on how his home state Odisha relishes fish as it is a part of their regular diet. He also mentioned how the Department is taking various efforts to support the livelihood of the small and artisanal fish farmers. Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur, who is popular for his speciality Indian cuisine also appreciated the concept of the book that features local recipes from different parts along with the names of the fish. He mentioned that the event made him travel through the memoir of his childhood days of his father preparing fish fry for his family and later on his introduction with different fish varieties and its diverse cooking style in different parts of the country.
Fish and Seafood are an important part of the Indian diet since ancient times. Many remains found to indicate the consumption of fish as a significant dietary element in the Indus Valley Civilization. Fish has become an integral part of the Indian diet regime considering its nutritional value. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projections, aquaculture will be responsible for nearly two-thirds of India’s fish production by 2030. This is indicative that fisheries and aquaculture is equally important for employment, as well as a vital source of food and nutrition security, especially for the rural population.
Recognizing the significance of fisheries sector, to take comprehensive, strategic and focused interventions, the Government of India launched its flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in May 2020 as a part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Package with the highest ever investment of Rs. 20,050 crores. The schemes being implemented over a period of five years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all States/Union Territories. The scheme envisages to drive sustainable and responsible development of the sector, ensuring socio-economic development of the fishers, fish farmers and all other stakeholders in the value-chain. PMMSY envisages to address critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, infusion of technology, traceability, post-harvest infrastructure and management to develop the sector holistically. The Department aims to create a conducive environment for fostering private sector engagement, innovation &amp; entrepreneurship, ease of doing business and other necessary support.
Through the coffee table book, the Department, along with its aim to increase domestic fish consumption and promote fish protein for food &amp; nutritional security it also envisages to promote the local recipes and diversity of Indian fish gastronomy heritage.
Shri Mehra, Joint Secretary (Inland fisheries) mentioned that the through PMMSY scheme, the Department has been taking various strategic initiatives to increase the domestic fish consumption from 5kg per capita to 12kg per capita, doubling the exports to Rs. 1 lakh Crore and increase productivity from 3 tons per Ha to 5 tons per Ha. He motivated everyone to add fish in their diet as it is an affordable protein source and encouraged everyone to experiment the recipes featured in the book.

Union Minister of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Shri Parshottam Rupala launched a unique coffee table book titled ‘Fish & Seafood—a collection of 75 gourmet recipes’ here today. 

Rupala Launches Culinary Coffee Table Book ‘Fish & Seafood—A Collection Of 75 Gourmet Recipes’ 

Kohima (The Hawk): The Nagaland government has launched an ambitious plan to cover 50,000 hectares of land by coffee plantations by 2030 in an effort to export coffee to European and Middle Eastern nations, authorities said on Monday.
Around 8,412.49 hectares and 1,419.7 hectares of land in various districts are currently covered by Arabica and Robusta coffee plantations, respectively, with the assistance and support of the Coffee Board.
P.P. Chaudhury, the deputy director of the Coffee Board, stated that the Board has been assisting about 400 coffee farmers annually who own about 200 hectares of land.
The Land Resources Development (LRD) department is the nodal agency in the cultivation of organic coffee in Nagaland, the official added. "The Board is also providing market linkage of the products by bringing in customers from different parts of India," the official said.
According to Chaudhury, the Coffee Board offers seedlings to develop nurseries as well as infrastructure help during harvest as part of its programmes.
Although Nagaland only produces a little amount of coffee at the moment, he claimed that the organic drink's quality is "extremely good" and meets all international criteria.
According to officials, Nagaland has a microclimate that makes the soil ideal for growing coffee.
With the help of the Coffee Board, the LRD department is able to teach farmers and take them on exposure tours to neighbouring states.
An LRD official claims that the coffee plantation was first started in Nagaland in the early 1990s, but due to a lack of market connections, the project did not initially prove to be successful.
Albert Ngullie, a second LRD director, stated that the Nagaland government restored coffee plantations in a mission style throughout the state in 2014, with the LRD department serving as the nodal agency. Currently, the state's organic coffee is shipped to nations in Europe and the Middle East.
The North Eastern Council (NEC) has offered financial support to distribute 360 coffee pulping equipment throughout the state as part of the post-Covid economic recovery plan. The NABARD additionally aids farmers in growing organic coffee.
The only company exporting coffee from the northeastern state is Nagaland Coffee Private Limited, which has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nagaland government to distribute and export coffee.
The proprietor of the business, Vivito Yeptho, claimed that he began exporting coffee in 2017 with just four tonnes and that the largest volume per season has been 11 tonnes.
He added that Nagaland coffee is exported to nations like South Africa, Bahrain, Dubai, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and South East Asia. "We are expecting to sell at least 20 tonnes of coffee by 2023," he said.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The Nagaland government has launched an ambitious plan to cover 50,000 hectares of land by coffee plantations by 2030 in an effort to export coffee to European and Middle Eastern nations, authorities said on Monday.

Nagaland intends to cultivate 50,000 hectares of coffee in order to increase exports

London: Drinking coffee, a rich source of caffeine, may help curb the amount of body fat and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, suggests a study.
Researchers from the Imperial College London found that people who carry genetic variants associated with slower caffeine metabolism drink, on average, less coffee, yet have higher levels of caffeine in their blood than people who metabolise it quickly to reach or retain the levels required for its stimulant effects. The research published in the journal BMJ Medicine concluded that the speed at which coffee is metabolised by the body may impact the weight.
To find out, the study looked at the role of two common genetic variants of the CYP1A2 and AHR genes in nearly 10,000 people of predominantly European ancestry. The CYP1A2 and AHR genes are associated with the speed of caffeine metabolism in the body.
The results of the analysis showed that people with higher plasma caffeine levels enjoyed a lower body mass index (BMI) and body fat, alongside a lower risk of developing type two diabetes.
"Ninety-five per cent of your caffeine is metabolised by an enzyme," Dipender Gill, clinical scientist at the Imperial, was quoted as saying Independent.co.uk. "Two genes - CYP1A2 and AHR - affect the function and level of that enzyme.
Using these genetic variants, the team found that slower metabolisers have higher plasma (blood) caffeine levels, and those with higher plasma levels go on to have a lower BMI and risk of diabetes, Gill said.
"It's the plasma caffeine that's doing that," he noted. However, more research is needed, the team said. It is because caffeine has been associated with lower sleep quality and increased palpitations. —IANS

Drinking coffee, a rich source of caffeine, may help curb the amount of body fat and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, suggests a study.

Drinking Coffee May Help You In Weight Loss, Ward Off Diabetes Risk

New Delhi: The energising effect that individuals experience from consuming a cup of coffee cannot be replicated solely by consuming plain caffeine, a new study has revealed.  According to the study published in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, plain caffeine only partially reproduced the effects of drinking a cup of coffee, reports The Independent.  Aside from boosting alertness in the brain, coffee also affects working memory and goal-directed behaviour in the brain.  “There is a common expectation that coffee increases alertness and psychomotor functioning. When you get to understand better the mechanisms underlying a biological phenomenon, you open pathways for exploring the factors that may modulate it and even the potential benefits of that mechanism,” study co-author Nuno Sousa explained. Before the study, participants who drank at least one cup of coffee per day were asked to refrain from eating or drinking caffeinated beverages for three hours. Participants then underwent two brief MRI brain scans -- one before and one after drinking either caffeine or a standardised cup of coffee to collect social and demographic data. According to researchers, drinking both coffee and caffeine use reduced neuronal connection in the brain’s default mode network, which is involved in introspection and self-reflection processes. Researchers said this shift could indicate that people are more prepared to transition from resting to working on tasks.  However, they mentioned that drinking coffee may also improve connectivity in the brain's more advanced nerve network that controls vision, as well as other areas involved in working memory, cognitive control, and goal-directed behaviour.  However, such effects were not found when participants only took caffeine, the study showed.  “Acute coffee consumption decreased the functional connectivity between brain regions of the default mode network, a network that is associated with self-referential processes when participants are at rest,” study co-author Maria Picó-Pérez said.  “The subjects were more ready for action and alert to external stimuli after having coffee,” she added.  Additionally, the new findings suggested that even though caffeinated drinks share some of the same effects as coffee, there are still some benefits associated with drinking coffee, including the smell and taste of that drink, as well as the psychological expectations associated with drinking that drink. —IANS&nbsp;

The energising effect that individuals experience from consuming a cup of coffee cannot be replicated solely 

Coffee Gives Brain 'Special' Boost, Even Beyond Caffeine Content: Study

Mumbai: Celebrity couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, popularly known as 'Virushka', recently jetted off to London for a vacation. Anushka simply couldn't get enough of the time she spent with her cricketer husband. The 'PK' actor took to her Instagram and shared a video with her cricketer husband reliving some of her favourite moments.  She captioned the video, "Major missing - London city &amp; coffee walks. PS- that coffee lasted a long time."  In the video, the 'Zero' actor wore a casual denim co-ord. She can be seen on the train and exploring the streets of London with a cup of coffee in her hand. Virat, on the other hand, can be seen taking a candid video. As soon as the actor dropped the video, fans complimented the duo in the comments section. "Most expensive and popular camera man ever," another social media user wrote. Virat and Anushka tied the knot on December 11 in Italy and are one of the most loved celebrity couples. The duo was blessed with Vamika on January 11, 2021. Meanwhile, on the work front, Virat was a part of the Indian squad that played the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval, London. In the final, he scored 14 and 49. India registered a loss of 209 runs, their second successive loss in the final of the tournament. India will next play West Indies in an all-format series from July 12 onwards. The series consists of two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. Virat could be seen in action during this series in Tests and ODIs. On the other hand, Anushka will be next seen in the upcoming sports biopic film 'Chakda Xpress' which is based on the life of former Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami and will stream exclusively on Netflix. The final release date of the film is still awaited. (ANI)

Celebrity couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, popularly known as 'Virushka', recently jetted off to London for a vacation

Anushka Sharma is missing her downtime, coffee walks in London

New Delhi: In an extremely rare astronomical event, a French woman was hit by a meteorite while having coffee on terrace with her friend, the media reported. According to French newspaper Les Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alsace (DNA), the woman was hit in the ribs by a mysterious pebble. “I heard a big ‘Poom’ coming from the roof next to us. In the second that followed, I felt a shock on the ribs. I thought it was an animal, a bat!” the woman was quoted as saying. “We thought it was a piece of cement, the one we apply to the ridge tiles. But it didn’t have the colour.” To understand what stuck her she got the rock checked by a local roofer who suggested it to be a meteorite. Following this, she got the rock examined by geologist Dr Thierry Rebmann, who confirmed its extra-terrestrial origins. The rock appeared to contain a mixture of iron and silicon, and could be a meteorite, Rebmann was quoted as saying to the local paper. All the pieces of the meteorite that have been recovered weighed more than 100 gms, the report said. The geologist added that the phenomenon of people being struck by such objects is extremely rare. Meteorites are “space rocks” that survive their journey through the Earth’s atmosphere and hit the ground. These objects — known as meteoroids when they are in space — range in size from dust grains to small asteroids. Almost 50 tonnes of meteoritic material is estimated to fall to Earth every day, according to NASA. “It’s very rare, in our temperate environments, to find them,” Rebmann was quoted as saying. “They merge with other elements. On the other hand, in a desert environment, we can find them more easily.” The first confirmed case of a meteorite directly striking a person occurred in the US in 1954, where a woman was struck by an 3.6 kg stony meteorite that crashed through her roof, leaving her with severe bruising. —IANS

In an extremely rare astronomical event, a French woman was hit by a meteorite while having coffee

French Woman Hit By Meteorite While Having Coffee On Terrace

New York [US]: The vibrant colours of Holi splashed across South Street Seaport in New York as more than 7,000 Indians and Americans came together to celebrate the festival of colours. Amidst the festivities, the Consulate General of India in New York added a unique flavour to the celebration by showcasing the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, highlighting the cultural and culinary diversity of India.
The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as people exchanged traditional greetings, smeared each other with colour, and danced to the beats of Bollywood music and Dhol as well.
Adding an exquisite touch to the celebration, the Consulate General of India in New York treated participants to a delectable showcase of ODOP delights. Among the highlights was the indulgence in the rich flavours of Indian Monsoon Malabar coffee, a quintessential delight for coffee connoisseurs.
Additionally, attendees savoured the unique taste of millet cookies and coffee chocolates, curated to represent the diverse culinary heritage of India.
"More than 7000 Indians and Americans celebrated Holi at South Street Seaport in New York. Also indulged in the rich flavor of Indian Monsoon Malabar coffee as @IndiainNewYork showcased ODOP initiative with millet cookies &amp; coffee chocolates," said the Consulate General of India in New York, in a post on X.
US President Joe Biden too extended Holi wishes on Monday, emphasising that millions of people globally will join together to celebrate the festival, the arrival of Spring, with Gulal and vibrant colours. "Today, millions around the world will join together to celebrate Holi, the arrival of Spring, with Gulal and vibrant colours," said US President Biden in a post on X.
He, along with first lady Jill Biden, wished everyone to celebrate the festival of colours. "Jill and I wish all those observing today's Festival of Colors joy and happiness," he added. The Indian Consulate in New York on Monday extended Holi greetings by illuminating the iconic Times Square in New York City with banners of Holi wishes. "Wishing everyone a colorful and joyous Holi from the heart of New York City. #TimesSquare May the festival of color fill your life with happiness, love and peace,"Indian Consulate in New York posted on X.
Earlier, the Indian Embassy in the US also wished everyone a joyous celebration resplendent with colours and music. In a video shared on X, the Indian Embassy in the US captured the exuberant spirit of Holi celebrations. The video showcased a lively scene at DuPoint Circle, where people immersed themselves in the festivities, dancing joyously while playing with vibrant colours. US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti also extended Holi wishes to the people of India via a video message shared on X. He said, "I want to wish everybody a very happy Holi. We have this amazing gujiyas, which has a little bit of an American twist with some pistachios in here, beautiful rose water. There's no better way than to celebrate Holi across the Indo-Pacific together."
Holi, the festival of colours, is a celebration of liveliness, joy and, of course, familial ties and close bonds. It marks the blooming of spring after a long winter season. On the day of Holi, people come together and smear dry and wet colours on each other.
—ANI

Experience Holi at South Street Seaport, NY: vibrant colors, cultural showcases, and India's rich flavors, with 7,000+ celebrating the festival of joy.

The Hawk

Tag : Coffee

Is your coffee giving you cancer?

Preeti

Tag : Coffee

Is your coffee giving you cancer?

Preeti

More about Coffee