19 minute read
Coffee Beans and Matcha Powder (But Leave the Pastries Alone)
(But Leave the Pastries Alone)
Winter might very well be the time for hygge and hunkering down in our cosy and hopefully still heated homes (rising energy prices, be damned), yet which warming drink should we really be imbibing: coffee or tea? Our British heritage denotes the latter, but we’ve very much gone Continental over the years and developed a taste for the caffeinated beans, too, appropriating the Scandinavian notion of fika into our daily routines.
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Nutritionist Patrick Holford recently wrote on the pros and cons of coffee consumption. While it has polyphenols that act very like antioxidants, while it contains around 1,000 different compounds, it sadly also increases inflammation in the body, notably homocysteine levels, which also signal increased risk of dementia. Nonetheless, in a study of some 400,000 people in the UK, it was found that those who drank between one and two cups per day benefitted cognitively from coffee, whereas anything less or more than that quantity resulted in a higher risk of dementia and increased brain shrinkage in the hippocampus (a sign commonly associated with Alzheimer’s). Indeed, a study published in Nutritional Neuroscience found six or more cups of coffee per day increased a person’s risk of developing dementia – by 53%. Another study found that between three and four cups of coffee each day decreased the risk of liver cancer by 38% to 41%, while a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute discovered six cups of coffee per day halved the risk of incurable prostate cancer.
So, is it a case of sacrificing one’s brain for the good of the body as a whole? After all, coffee has also been found to protect against diabetes Type-II, potentially reducing insulin resistance. Tea, although also a caffeinated beverage, does not provide these benefits. However, it might not be the caffeine. Even decaf coffee is thought to maintain healthy insulin-producing cells. Nevertheless, be warned: dunking a croissant or other pastry in that liquid ebony has the reverse effect on blood sugar levels. Thus, in a moment, we lose forever the peaceful scenario of comfort, coffee served just so, cinnamon Danish on the side – an afternoon pickme-up cherished when the days are short and the nights are long. Or perhaps quintessentially British afternoon tea was on a wise path indeed: no need to say no to a scone when your caffeine is from a leaf… However, a study published in the journal Nutrients last year found that moderate mocha coffee consumption is linked to higher cognitive function and mood status, while a study published in PLoS One in 2014 had shown benefits from green tea, but not black tea or coffee, in reducing cognitive decline in participants under 60 years of age in Nakajima, Japan. With regard to findings on mocha coffee consumption (and enjoyment), a study published in BMC Nutrition in 2017 stated that although both chocolate and coffee are beneficial on their own for alertness, cocoa’s properties are increased when combined with coffee, while addition of chocolate to coffee lessened the volatility of participants. Want to sweeten up the after-lunch atmosphere in the office? Make it mocha lattes all round then!
Nonetheless, these days you’re a pretty rare creature if you don’t like coffee in some form – Americano, vanilla latte, cappuccino with a sprinkling of cocoa, or whichever sickly new abomination has been concocted in the mainstream cafés. Coffee is so popular, in fact, that cell-cultured coffee is on the horizon. Yes, you read that right. Just as there are ongoing developments in clean meat and lab grown fish and dairy, so too is coffee – that more and more environmentally endangered bean – having a little explorative work done with its cells to see whether we can keep the cups of caffeine coming in the future. As Vegconomist recently reported, coffee cells were successfully produced by Finnish scientists (it had to be the Fins, being the biggest per capita consumers of coffee in the world) who were on the path to find a more sustainable and ethical means of coffee production for tomorrow. Finland’s population consuming roughly 10kg of coffee per person annually – the day divided into aamukahvi (morning coffee), päiväkahvi (day coffee), iltakahvi (evening coffee) and even saunakahvi (sauna coffee) and matkakahvi (travelling coffee) – the VTT Technical Research Centre scientists used a cellular agriculture bioreactor wherein the cell cultures are filled with a nutrient medium. Already, the smell and taste created is not far off from being wholly successful.
In moderation, coffee is still of benefit to the mind, body, and maybe even one’s soul if your nose has been buried in spreadsheets all day. A one-off overindulgence in coffee to pull an all-nighter also won’t do too much damage in the long run. But if you’re worried, make sure you hydrate well (coffee is a known diuretic), get adequate sleep, exercise, and – of course – eat a balanced diet. Furthermore, you’ll know if you’ve been overdoing it if you go a day without the beans: the resultant headache won’t let you forget it. If you find yourself tired after coffee, in fact, it could be that (a) you’ve built up a high tolerance, probably because (b) you’ve drunk it in lieu of getting adequate sleep and (c) you were sipping on the strong stuff far too late in the day. In the case of (b), you’re better off scheduling in a power nap than making another cup: set an alarm for around 15 or 20 minutes, and you’ll be amazed at how refreshed you feel in the afternoon.
Rather than another coffee, activities that cognitively challenge are a great addition to the week, as well: don’t just rely on a seeming cure-all. Reading is a good place to start and goes some way in explaining the long-lived popularity of the library. Despite children being sponges for language, it really is never too late to get your tongue (and head) around some Spanish or Italian (or more complicated language system – Mandarin anyone?). If foreign lingo isn’t your thing, however, then maybe try the tango, or other form of dance.
A 2018 study of some 500,000 people, though, found a link between coffee consumption and longevity. This, despite the majority of people in the much-talked-about Blue Zones (yes, them again) predominantly being tea drinkers. Returning to that alternate (somewhat competitor) beverage, tea: in the leaves versus beans stakes, both are rich in antioxidants, but tea has been found to lower the risk of certain cancers and lessen the likelihood of developing heart disease. Similarly, tea is a huge (cupful of) immunity support and its catechins are notably of benefit to the health of the brain, especially EGCG (epigallo catechin 3-gallate). Coffee’s hydrocinnamic acids, meanwhile, act in an anti-inflammatory capacity, neutralizing free radicals and thereby preventing oxidative stress.
Caffeine-wise, per cup, tea typically contains between 20mg and 60mg, while a normal cup of coffee has around 100mg to 300mg of caffeine. It increases production of the stimulant norepinephrine and also dopamine, with its focussing effects, which is why a cup or two in the morning helps us to feel more awake and prepped for the day’s work. If sensitive to the caffeine content of drinks, green tea is the way to go, its l-theanine causing a slower absorption of the caffeine (it also produces a calming effect in the drinker).
It is the caffeine, in fact, which makes coffee the go-to for people with sluggish digestive systems, as it stimulates the production of stomach acid and contracts the intestines. If doing this on an empty stomach, gastroenterologists recommend adding some ground turmeric, ginger, or cinnamon to your morning mug. The thought might make you smile, but on the subject: if we’re talking dental effects of coffee and tea, amazingly black coffee stains teeth less than black tea. Yet, tea contains fluoride, which has been shown to lessen cavities. In the end, the choice is a personal one. Perhaps there isn’t a decision to be made at all: coffee in the morning and tea of an afternoon? Now, what could be better than that? That is unless we’re talking about varieties of beans or leaves. From Ceylon to Assam, Chai to Lapsang Suchong, and green versus white, and the whole gambit of herbal options – tea selection is a subjective decision-making process that takes into consideration the ebb and flow of one’s mood and energy levels. Coffee bean choice, on the other hand, is more a matter of strength and acidity. Nevertheless, what matters most is how you store your selected beverage in its dry form (particularly in a climate as chill and damp as ours!). Tea leaves, for example, are 97% dry: a drop of moisture in the air and they will absorb it. So too any strong cooking smells. Lovely. Rule number one: do not store your tea in the fridge. Rather, make sure it’s in a sealed container, in the dark (the leaves, although dried, will still absorb sunlight and thereby damage the flavour), and not next to a heat source (the leaves will degrade). There are, however, exceptions to any rule, and that includes Pu’er tea (fermented, those leaves need a breathable container) and matcha green tea powder (extremely absorbent, matcha should be tenderly put away in an airtight container in the freezer).
A Buzz for Humans, Deception for a Bee
In a study published in the journal Current Biology in 2015 – “Caffeinated forage tricks honeybees into increasing foraging and recruitment behaviours” – it was stated that caffeine, as a “pharmacologically active secondary compound whose main purpose is to detract herbivores” is in fact purposefully produced in the nectar of some plants in order to attract pollinators. In short, it is thought that caffeine “may enhance bee reward perception”, by assisting memory recall of “a learned olfactory association”. However, it also dupes them into “sub-optimal foraging” and honey storage, believing that the supply is better than it is. Thus, plants which do have caffeine within their nectar are exploitative.
A 2013 study published in the journal Science pre-empted the research, wherein the Coffea (or coffee plant) was found to use this method of attraction. When a plant does use caffeine as an appeal to pollinators, it is in very low doses (high doses are toxic, and can actually be used against garden slugs, if you were wondering). The honeybees used in the study were three times as likely to remember the scent of a caffeine-containing plant and stick out their tongues for reward after 24 hours; they were twice as likely to do this 72 hours after the first tasting.
Transfer this concept to humans and the wherefores of why – despite its bitter, bitter taste – we keep coming back to the bean (particularly in the mornings, you know, 24 hours after our last waking sip of the black stuff), and you start to worry about the veracity of our freedom of choice...
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Nothing quite beats a naturally caffeine-free, herbal tea before bed to help you unwind after a long, stressful day. Chamomile is one of the classics among garden herbs, and its association with supporting sleep is known all around the world. Lavender also has a reputation for aiding relaxation and helping you drift off; so, just imagine what would happen if you combined the two… well, wonder no more! teapigs have combined chamomile and lavender, along with some sweet apple, to create Snooze. Snooze is one of the six teas from their feel-good tea range, and makes for the ultimate bedtime brew. Like all of teapigs tea, you’ll only find big, whole tea leaves, whole herbs and whole spices in this blend, so you’ll be sure to have a cuppa full of flavour every time. Big leaves = big flavour!
Garden Tea:
Serenity in a Cuppa
We all cherish a particular hour of the day for taking pleasure from a nice cup of tea. You might be someone who wakes for the dawn light and chorus of the birds, steam rising in parallel to the mist from the grass as you sip from a mug of your favourite breakfast blend (commonly a mixture of Assam, Ceylon, and Kenyan varieties). Or you might be the night owl tea connoisseur, a pot of smoky Lapsang Souchong beside you as you indulge in a book while all the world rests. Even die-hard coffee fans have been known to harbour a secret love of green tea and herbal options, if only because of the moment it gives us for ourselves: one sip, an exhalation of satisfaction, and we relax.
It might still be too cold outside to enjoy a cup of chamomile in the garden (though this never prohibited winter picnicking, granted), but if you shiver merely at the thought of such a chilly sojourn, Garden Tea is now available to bring you the healing effects of the herbaceous outdoors brought indoors, in an environmentally and socially principled manner. Organic and Fairtrade, Garden Tea uses only ingredients grown without use of chemical herbicides or pesticides and its standards are strictly ethical, everyone in the supply chain being paid fairly for their work in bringing these serenely sippable herbal teas to the market.
Those ethics extend to being Vegan-certified, too. It might seem a strange thing to consider in relation to tea, but some teas use animal-based products for processing. Honey aside, if there is lemon peel in a tea infusion, for instance, often the wax on lemons has come from shellac (a resin secreted by female beetles). Not a particularly appetising thought for that planned warming cup of lemon and ginger… Garden Tea isn’t loose-leaf; rather, it comes in practical and – importantly – unbleached sachets. Whereas most big household tea brands have encased their products in plastic-containing white teabags bleached with chlorine dioxide (harmful to both humans and the environment), Garden Tea uses only unbleached, 100% plastic-free sachets to ensure no microplastics end up littering the planet and that no nasty dioxins are leeching into your cuppa and into you.
As for the range itself, you won’t be left wanting. Organic Green Tea consists purely of its titular self and nothing more, while Organic Three Mint is for those looking for the refreshing taste and digestive properties of infused peppermint, spearmint, and apple mint. Garden Tea’s Organic Lemon & Ginger, though, is a perfect pick-me-up choice. Containing vegan lemon peel, myrtle, verbena, and ginger, as well as liquorice root, fennel, verbena, anti-inflammatory turmeric, and elderflower – your mind, body, and soul are sure to be invigorated (and colds kept at bay). By contrast, Organic After Hours Infusion is for those looking to unwind from the day’s cares, with a relaxing blend of chamomile, valerian, and passion flower (as well as fennel, verbena, liquorice root, and warming cinnamon).
Garden Tea offers a sustainable herbal cuppa for the discerning British tea drinker. Simply steep a sachet in freshly boiled water, wait five minutes, and then sip and sit back, floating on a wave of relaxation. Bliss. And the sachets are fully compostable, too, so when you’re done, just pull out the tag and string, and pop the used teabag on/in the home-composter and enjoy the zero-waste moment.
*NB: Those with hypertension should avoid excessive consumption of liquorice root.
Herbal Teas for Winter Health
All of these are nutritional powerhouses on their own, but why not get creative and blend some together in a pot? Don’t forget the tea cosy!
1
Ginger
Good for nausea, ginger also helps to reduce stress.
2
Fennel
Also good for the stomach, fennel is a beneficial digestive after meals.
3
Cinnamon
Warming, spicy, tasty – you can’t go wrong with cinnamon.
4
Peppermint
5
Nettle
6
Hibiscus
High in vitamin C, Hibiscus is a useful addition to the immunesupportive home holistic medicine cabinet.
7
Chamomile
The traditional herbal go-to tea for relaxation, chamomile is also antibacterial and sedative in nature.
8
Lemongrass
Also rich in vitamin C, lemongrass has been shown to be of benefit in strengthening the immune system.
9
Olive Leaf
An antiviral, olive leaf is traditionally used as a common cold preventative.
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Wake Up and Smell the…
Why Not to Start the Day with Coffee
Humans are creatures of habit. Sadly, few of us are able to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep each night, so we frequently wake up to an alarm (chimes, birdsong, sirens – whatever does it to pull you from that sweet sleep) tired and groggy; we shuffle through the motions of dressing and lunch prep, one eye on the clock (if icy, calculating roughly how long it will take to defrost the car). That’s why we do it, reach for the coffee: we need a reinvigorator, we need to become, well, more human. And so, we brew the coffee. Whether we’re cafetiere users, percolated filter coffee-only drinkers, pre-ground buyers, grinders of our own whole bean connoisseurs, or of the a-quick-stirof-instant-once-the-kettle’s-boiled exceedingly rushed few – coffee is what gets and keeps us going.
However, now we’re being told to hold our horses: apparently, we shouldn’t be having coffee as our first beverage of the day. Instead, reach for a tall glass of water (quite literally: put one on the bedside table for the morning). Sleep being a dehydrating activity – however little of it you’ve done – the body needs rehydration first and foremost when we wake, which makes diuretic coffee the last thing we should be sipping. What’s more, anxious as we are for the day ahead and the challenges therein, coffee raises cortisol levels, making us feel more awake, yes, but also even more stressed than we already are (especially if running late; cursed be that snooze button…). In fact, our body itself releases cortisol to help us wake up, peaking half an hour after having awoken.
In short, then, hydration comes first, folks; caffeination, after.
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Ah, chocolate: most likely, you’ll have had your fill of the stuff last month and are aiming for abstinence throughout January (for the sake of that New Year health kick, and all that). You might even, low and behold, be trying out Veganuary and continuing under the misconception that good chocolate can’t possibly be vegan. Well, you’d be wrong.
Cultivated cacao, however, has some climate change hurdles to overcome. As temperatures rise, a steady decline in cacao plants is being recorded and a recent Peruvian study of cultivated cacao estimated a decline of approximately 10% due to global warming over the next few decades. Native to the damp environs of the Amazon rainforest, cacao is considered to be one of the most important crops in the tropics. Nonetheless, wild species have dwindled due to over-farming of cultivated species (similar to monocrop concerns with other plants, such as soya) – that is, wild species have dwindled except for in the rainforests of Peru. And it is hoped that under cover of those trees, those lungs of the Earth, that wild cacao will propagate and increase in numbers by around a third by 2070.
Don’t go out and gorge on chocolate just yet, though (despite the myriad vegan options lining the shelves these days): wild cacao will never replace cultivated species of cacao as cash crops (the study also didn’t allow for any increases in pests or disease that might blight the plants). So it stands that scientists are looking to research which wild species are hardiest, and which will pass the taste test – not just for the benefit of the keen consumer, but for those whose livelihoods depend on cacao farming and the chocolate trade.
Here in the UK, though, Mr Bean Chocolate has just been released. A premium vegan-certified chocolate range, Mr Bean Chocolate globally sources the most decadent and ethical of ingredients for its creations. Using only the finest blend of cocoa beans from Peru and the Dominican Republic, the result is a product of rich flavour and depth that consumers can be sure didn’t come from cultivated crops covered in chemical herbicides or pesticides. This is organic chocolate, made in that historic chocolate-making capital Belgium, and it is oh-sodeliciously Fairtrade chocolate, too. What’s more, when you’re left with only an empty wrapper, simply cut it up and put the pieces in your home compost heap: the plant-based film has been designed to break down just like any other vegan food waste. Sweet.
Conversely, carob is doing very well as a chocolate alternative. An ancient superfruit tree lauded in the Bible, carob – according to CarobWay, Ltd. (a FoodTech and agriTech startup founded in 2020) – can even grow on desert land other crops would wither away on and thrives in arid areas of Africa and Asia (tolerant of temperatures up to 50°C). With a low GI, carob’s nature-given sweetness is suitable for those with diabetes, as well. Each fruit pod consisting of around 90% pulp and 10% seeds, the food industry is no stranger to carob. CarobWay’s ambition, however, is to make use of part of the some 46% arid land mass on the planet and ensure in the process that carob harvesting is made less labour-intensive, also.
In the confectionary industry itself, meanwhile, a Swedish chocolatier has gone – erm – cocoa for vegan artisanal chocolates recently. As reported by Vegconomist, as far back as 2016 entrepreneur Anahita Vazvan was inspired by Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory to start her Vegan Delights store, funded by her mother and uncle who had sampled her chocolate experiments and been amazed. Its range includes the “Vegickers” vegan Snickers bar (a bestseller) and the products always use 100% vegan and sustainable ingredients, often mostly organic as well.
