I don't know about you, but I am. One day I'll read a report on a coffee study that says coffee is bad for you. The next day I'll read a report that says coffee is good for you. One report will talk about the negative effects of caffeine. The next report will talk about the positive effects of caffeine. Are there really any coffee studies that provide a balanced view? Who pays for these studies? The latest study I read has a huge gaping hole in it.

The Morning Jolt

A report, published earlier this month, stated things that are obvious without stating what should be obvious.

Basically, the story reports that non-coffee drinkers become alert in the morning as quickly without coffee as coffee drinkers do with coffee. The study, as far as I can tell, doesn't take into consideration that not all non-coffee drinkers drink caffeine-free beverages in the morning. Some of them drink soda or hot tea, both of which contain caffeine. Of course, it doesn't seem to take decaffeinated coffee into consideration either.

What it leaves out, the big gaping hole, is the effect that coffee (with caffeine) has on people who don't drink coffee regularly. From my own experience with people like that, coffee has a stronger effect on them than any of the so called energy drinks.

It's Just Coffee

Regardless of any health benefits or lack thereof, most people I know drink coffee just because they like to drink coffee. It has nothing to do with being alert or getting a jolt from the caffeine in the morning.

It's not like regular coffee is man-made or anything, like soda and energy drinks. Coffee is made from the seeds of the coffee fruit, from the coffee plants, which are called coffee beans simply because they look like beans. Pure coffee grounds or pure instant coffee is made from ground up coffee beans (although you can eat chocolate-covered coffee beans at your own peril).

The only way that consuming coffee could be any more natural would be to eat the fruit as it comes from the plant. I hear they don't taste too good, but I've never tried one.

Similar Articles:

• The Filterfresh National YouTube Contest – Are you the most Coffee-Caffeinated Person?
• Do you like Fruit-flavored Coffee or Tea?
• Coffee and Tea – Diabetes, Strokes, Hypertension and Blood Pressure
• Green Coffee For Weight Loss
• My Son, the Closet Coffee Drinker

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.

Similar Articles:

• Coffee and Your Health – Good to the Last Drop
• It All Starts with Espresso in US Coffee Shops
• Nescafé Protect – Green Coffee Beans Combined with Regular Coffee Beans
• The Many Kinds of Coffee
• A Possible Switch to Decaffeinated Coffee

Until very recently, I didn't know about the many kinds of coffee. I knew about the two species commonly used, but I just found out there are many more. How did I find out? I was cruising around Wikipedia and found their article on coffee, that's how. Of course, reading any Wikipedia article has a tendency to make the brain go numb due to all the references, citations, and technical details you have to wade through.

The Two Main Species of Coffee

While I say they're the two main species, that's not really correct. They're just the main species most widely used and thus, more widely distributed.

The most popular of all is the coffea arabica, of which many varieties exist. It originated in Ethiopia many centuries ago and derives its name from Arabia.

The other popular species is coffea robusta. It supposedly has more flavor and is more expensive.

How Coffee is Consumed

When I was young and living in the US, no one ever mentioned anything other than hot, brewed coffee. That's the way it was served in restaurants, fast-food joints, and at home. The reality is that it's only one of many ways coffee is consumed.

Here's a partial list of ways I've seen coffee consumed, or consumed by me:

• Brewed and served hot – traditional American coffee
• Brewed and served cold – iced coffee
• As Espresso
• Chocolate-covered coffee beans
• Coffee Cake
• As a candy ingredient

It's a short list and if I sat here long enough, I'm sure I could think up a few more.

Local Coffee Varieties

While I primarily drink coffee made by Nescafe, there are some other varieties grown where I live, in the Philippines. The coffee used for the Nescafe brand is grown locally and I believe it's an Arabica.

I do not know which local brands are made from the coffea liberica species, but it would be an interesting experience to sample them. Anyway, the plants are grown in the Batangas and Cavite provinces and I hope to someday get a chance to check out the farms.

Similar Articles:

• The Top Five Hot Beverages Served at Cafes
• Five Most Commonly Sold Drinks
• The Coffee Percolator, An Old-Fashioned Coffee Maker
• Choose your Pod Coffee Maker Wisely
• What is "Organic Coffee"?