Learn more about coffee beyond our podcast.
Coffee Health
By Allison Jones
Every morning, millions of people get up and pour their first cup of coffee. For many it may just be one cup to kickstart their morning, but for some it can turn into five plus cups a day that they must consume just to operate. As they enjoy each cup, they probably don’t think about the health benefits or risks. Coffee has been a highly debated health topic for years yet to this day, we still have contradicting answers. Majority of health sources identify coffee as a healthy beverage all in moderation.
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In 1991, the World Health Organization included coffee on a list of possible carcinogens however by 2016 it was found not to be. More and more research was done to specifically see the effects of coffee on cancer. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, coffee was not found to increase the risk of cancers and research even showed that coffee decreased risks of certain cancers among those who drink coffee regularly.
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An eight-ounce brewed cup of coffee contains approximately 95 milligrams of caffeine. Multiply that by an average American consumption of three to five cups a day and Americans are consuming around 400 milligrams of coffee on a daily basis. To put it into perspective, a common cola has approximately 22 mg and an energy drink has anywhere from 80 to 300 mg. Excessive caffeine consumption is what can make drinking coffee unhealthy.
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It is recommended by multiple medical organizations, including the FDA, that humans consume no more than 400 milligrams of coffee. That amount is not generally associated with negative effects however, caffeine reactions can vary person to person. Over-consumption of caffeine can cause higher blood pressure, increased heart rate, jitters, insomnia, anxiety, and more. The FDA estimates that toxic effects, like seizures, can occur when people have rapidly consumed more than 1,200 milligrams or 0.15 tablespoons of pure caffeine. This would mean consuming almost 13 cups of coffee in a shortened time period.
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While caffeine is the main component of why people drink coffee, there are also other health benefits that consumers can take advantage of. First, long term studies show that consistent coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. There are certain natural minerals in coffee that improve a body’s metabolism directly effecting the effectiveness of insulin and glucose. Coffee has been shown to protect individuals against certain neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
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Both of these positive effects of coffee seem very long term however there are also immediate benefits. It can help with gut health, depression, and even athletic performance. All of these benefits can be largely attributed to the caffeine consumption that coffee offers however coffee does have other nutritional benefits beyond just the caffeine.
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Each and every day, coffee drinkers are finding new ways to get their morning caffeine fix. Some ways are healthier than others such as protein coffee rather than a Starbucks Frappuccino. Majority of the health studies surrounding coffee solely research just your plain cup of joe that you brew at your house. Overall, the benefits of coffee can have a positive effect on one’s wellbeing if you, the consumer, are able to resist the urge to consume more than you need!
Barista Brian
By Alexandra Lewis
Barista Brian, also known as Brian Leonard, is a Canadian artist who gained millions of views on social media for his extravagant latte art creations. Brian grew up in a musical family in New Brunswick, Canada and studied Opera Performance and Health Science in University. He then completed a year in the Audio Engineering Program at The Banff Centre. After his academic studies, Brian moved to Toronto and began creating latte art in front of an espresso machine. His latte art quickly became noticed by local media and Brian was named Toronto’s Best Latte Artist in 2015.
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Brian started his latte art at a local café in Toronto and played around with different design creations. He loved the reactions he would get from people when he presented a beautifully designed latte to them. As Brian made more latte art, he started to experiment more with his creativity by designing his friends’ faces and adding various colors to his designs. Brian designs his lattes by using food coloring in a water-colored palette and a bamboo stir stick to paint the colors on the top layer of the latte foam. He can make his latte art in just two to four minutes. Brian has some quick designs he makes that are still edible coffee drinks, while also making other designs that are more intricate and not as edible. His more detailed latte art designs are made to showcase his artwork, rather than drink the latte.
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Barista Brian has created latte art for multiple celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Hillary Clinton and Usher. Brian created lattes with their faces on them, along with faces of other famous people as well. Brian thinks it’s so cool to give these celebrities something they have never seen before and receive such cheerful reactions from them. It makes him feel so great to show celebrities his passion for latte art and have the celebrities reciprocate his joy right back to him. Barista Brian said, “Meryl Streep called me a genius and it’ll be on my tombstone probably”. Having well-known celebrities, like Meryl Streep positively react to his work pushes Brian to keep spreading his love for latte art.
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Today, Barista Brian is an internationally celebrated latte artist. Brian creates various latte designs from celebrity faces to famous paintings to landscapes and way more. He currently has over 31,000 followers on Instagram, over 83,000 followers on TikTok and an official website all about Barista Brian Latte Art. He has been featured on a number of media channels and websites including CBS, Food Network, NBC and Vogue. He works at a lot of celebrity events at international film festivals and backstage at award shows, like the Oscar Awards and Emmy Awards. Brian works regularly with corporate clients and PR agencies. Some of his clients include Nespresso, LinkedIn, Lululemon and Toyota. Brian offers bookings for corporate events, private events, art festivals and brand collaborations. Are you and your friends interested in seeing your faces on lattes? Book an event with Barista Brian today- it will be a latte fun!