I usually don't follow a nationally syndicated newspaper column to its source, but this time I did. After reading a blurb, "Have a Java", I felt compelled to do so. A few hours later, I responded to a comment on that post about coffee and GERD (acid reflux disease) and I'll expound on that in a minute.

Coffee May be Good for You

I was pointed to "Coffee won't hurt you, research finds", followed it back to the first newspaper referenced and then finally to the author's own website where she had written "Good to the last drop" (an old Maxwell House slogan).

With decades of journalism experience and more than 50 journalism awards, I trust that Judy Foreman is a responsible journalist. According to her sources, the coffee and caffeine parts of the coffee beverage can be examined independently of each other and each has its own attributes. The coffee part can be beneficial for some things while the caffeine part can be beneficial for others.

The research, although not completely conclusive, is mostly positive. It indicates that coffee itself lowers the risks for type 2 diabetes and liver cancer. Although it can't be determined whether it's the coffee or the caffeine, coffee seems to protect the liver against cirrhosis, especially cirrhosis caused by alcoholism (although telling someone to drink more coffee is NOT how to help an alcoholic).

The caffeine part appears to lower the risk of Parkinson's Disease, but not for women who use post-menopausal hormones. For athletes, studies suggest it helps muscles release calcium, allowing muscles to contract with more force. In both cases, only a single cup of coffee per day is needed to show a measurable improvement.

The Vinegar Trick

The commenter (MacBros) said he doesn't drink much coffee because he suffers from GERD (acid reflux disease). I pointed out that I haven't suffered from acid reflux symptoms since 2006 as I wrote in my heartburn and vinegar article in 2007. That particular article isn't very long and you may want to take a minute to read it even if you only suffer from a mild form of acid reflux. I won't repeat it here.

I hope MacBros (his real name is John) takes care of his own acid reflux problem so he can enjoy drinking coffee as much as I do.

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Before I say anything else, I'm going to let you know that I really like chocolate-covered coffee beans. Unfortunately, chocolate-covered coffee beans don't like me at all. I'll tell you my story in a minute.

About Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans

The name of this blog is "Coffee, Tea and Me". When I chose the name, I used a modified version of a popular phrase of the 1970s: "Coffee, tea or me?" Afterwards, I realized there are shops in shopping malls and other places named similarly that specialize in various coffee and tea products.

I haven't seen a shop like that in years, but then again, I haven't been looking for any. That's where I bought some chocolate-coverhttp://www.coffeettp://coffeeteablog.com/coffee-bean-fountains-by-nescafe/">coffee beans in 1996. They kind of look like another popular candy, "M&Ms". Other than the flavor of coffee, you might mistake them for one of the specialized versions of M&Ms, like when they use almonds instead of peanuts.

Acid Reflux and Me

After a co-worker offered me a couple of chocolate-covered coffee beans that he'd bought (at the same place I bought them), I bought a batch myself. While I was at work the next day, I ate about eight of them, forgetting what they were (mistaking them for M&Ms, naturally). You can call me an idiot anytime you like. Anyway, heartburn hit me like a ton of bricks. I needed heartburn relief and I needed it fast. I went to a doctor and it was then that I found out that I had acid reflux disease.

I suffered from chronic heartburn for years, but I didn't know that I also had acid reflux disease for years. It all but destroyed my teeth, occurring mostly when I slept. In 2005, a friend suggested I use vinegar for heartburn. I was skeptical, but I tried it and it worked. I've only had to use vinegar once since then, in 2006, and haven't had any reoccurring bouts of heartburn since. No heartburn of any kind, in fact, and I think that's amazing.

Heartburn Risks

I love coffee (hot or cold), coffee-flavored candies, coffee cake, chocolate-covered coffee beans and just about anything you can think of that has coffee in it or tastes like coffee. When it comes to chocolate-covered coffee beans, however, I'm afraid I'll probably never touch them again. Nothing else has ever triggered heartburn like that — not before the incident and not since.

As much as I love coffee products, I'd rather be heartburn-free than enjoy even a minute's pleasure with chocolate-covered coffee beans. Believe it or not, I haven't suffered from one bout of heartburn since April or May of 2006 (and it was very mild heartburn).

On second thought, if I can even find chocolate-covered coffee beans locally, I might try a couple just to see if my acid reflux problem is a thing of the past.

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