Source: Journal of Hepatology June 201; Volume 54, Issue 6, Pages 1123-1129

When looking at chronic hepatitis, evidence points to a relationship between caffeine consumption and improved liver tissue and lab results. Wanting to know more about this, a French team examined the impact of caffeine consumption on the liver in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV). There were 238 study subjects all with HCV (154 men and 84 women). Participants averaged about 408 mg of caffeine daily, mostly in the form of coffee (2 cups dally). Data were independently analyzed to remove other factors, such as alcohol and cigarette use.

The Bottom Line: Patients with HCV who drank the most coffee (3 or more cups a day) tended to have the least amount of inflammation of the liver cells. Researchers did not find a strong association between caffeine consumption and liver fibrosis progression, and suggest further studies. These findings suggest that caffeine or coffee may offer some protection to the liver.

Editorial Comment: There have been quite a few studies looking at the relationship between coffee consumption and HCV. For instance, research published in the June 2011 issue of Gastroenterology showed that HCV patients who drank three or more cups of coffee daily were three times more likely to respond to HCV treatment than patients who didn’t drink coffee.

Since coffee is made of more than a thousand constituents, it is impossible to state which component might be related to lower inflammation scores, or if the reason is related to the coffee at all. For instance, perhaps there is something else that coffee drinkers do or take that is related to improved liver inflammation. A double blind, randomized placebo-controlled study using caffeine would be an excellent tool for gaining more understanding about this.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13430219

Coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer in a study of nearly 50,000 US men.

Those who drank six or more cups a day were found to be 20% less likely to develop any form of the disease – which is the most common cancer in men.

They were also 60% less likely to develop an aggressive form which can spread to other parts of the body.

But charities say the evidence, reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is still unclear.

They do not recommend that men take up coffee drinking in the hope of preventing prostate cancer.
Unknown compounds

The study looked at about 48,000 men in the US who work as health professionals.

Every four years between 1986 and 2006, they were asked to report their average daily intake of coffee.

During this 20-year period, 5,035 of the men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, including 642 fatal cases.

No difference was seen between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, suggesting caffeine itself was not the cause.

But even relatively small amounts of coffee – one to three cups per day – were found to lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer by 30%.

The researchers think there may be unknown compounds in coffee that protect against the disease.

Lead researcher Dr Kathryn Wilson, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, said: “At present we lack an understanding of risk factors that can be changed or controlled to lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer.

“If our findings are validated, coffee could represent one modifiable factor that may lower the risk of developing the most harmful form of prostate cancer.”

Commenting on the study, Dr Helen Rippon of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said other studies had not shown the link and the research evidence was still unclear.

She added: “Although this study is a welcome addition to our knowledge, it is far from definitive and we would not recommend men who are not already habitual coffee drinkers to become so in the hope of preventing prostate cancer.

The data
* Previous studies have shown no clear link between coffee and prostate cancer risk
* Men who drank six or more cups of coffee per day had a slightly lower risk of any form of prostate cancer and a substantially lower risk of lethal prostate cancer compared with non-coffee drinkers, according to the researchers
* Both caff and decaff were associated with similar risks

“Heavy caffeine intake is associated with other health problems and men with benign prostate problems might well make urinary symptoms worse.”

Yinka Ebo, senior health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: “There’s no need for men to start drinking gallons of coffee in an attempt to lower their prostate cancer risk.

“A number of other studies looking at coffee and prostate cancer have found that drinking coffee does not affect the risk of the disease, and this study only found a lower risk of advanced prostate cancer in men who drank more than six cups a day.

“We would need to see these results repeated in other large studies before we can be sure whether coffee consumption affects the risk of prostate cancer.”

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/15/starbucks-green-mountain-partnership-keurig_n_823348.html?ir=Business

By Lisa Baertlein and Mihir Dalal

LOS ANGELES, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR.O) are in partnership negotiations, a source close to the talks told Reuters on Monday, sending Green Mountain shares surging.

Starbucks, the world’s biggest coffee chain, wants to be a big player in the new and fast-growing single-serve coffee segment that Green Mountain currently dominates with its Keurig one-cup brewers.
Story continues below

Starbucks on Sunday said it planned to announce a new product for the single-cup coffee market in the near future, reviving speculation of a tie-up between the two companies.

The person close to the partnership talks would not say if the pending announcement would involve Green Mountain.

A Starbucks spokesman declined comment on the negotiations. Before news of the talks broke, Green Mountain spokeswoman Suzanne DuLong said the company had no comment on speculations around potential partnerships.

Green Mountain shares surged as much as 13.5 percent to a new lifetime high of $47.81 before backtracking. Shares, which were briefly halted after Reuters reported the talks, closed up 6.7 percent to $46.35.

Shares of Starbucks rose 0.7 percent to $33.58.

IRRESISTIBLE OPPORTUNITY

Canaccord Genuity analyst Scott Van Winkle said: “Keurig is the dominant brand in single-serve coffee with rapidly rising consumer adoption of its brewers seeding a market opportunity that Starbucks can’t resist.”

On Sunday, Starbucks said it wants to keep all its options open, including partnerships with other firms, extensions to its Via instant coffee line or even selling single-cup brewing machines. [ID:nN13250152]

The news came as Starbucks prepares for the March 1 termination of an agreement by which it provides coffee discs for Kraft Foods Inc’s (KFT.N) Tassimo one-cup home brewer. Starbucks is also ending its grocery distribution agreement with Kraft on March 1.

Green Mountain enjoys a near monopoly in the single-cup coffee sector — with more than 80 percent market share — and has hammered competition from bigger companies such as Kraft and Sara Lee (SLE.N), which sells the Senseo brewer.

JPMorgan analyst John Ivankoe said in a December note to clients that a single-cup product could easily be a $1 billion revenue opportunity for Starbucks in the U.S. alone.

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jRcbrc-73wErHoT-5be3R-2hB1fwD9HHHR201

By EMILY FREDRIX (AP) – Aug 11, 2010

NEW YORK — For an extra jolt to its finances, Green Mountain Coffee Rosters Inc. is selling a 7 percent stake to Lavazza, Italy’s best-selling espresso brand, for $250 million.

Together, the companies plan to develop new single-serving espresso machines and espresso capsules that will complement Green Mountain’s popular Keurig coffee makers, which brew single cups of tea or coffee.

The deal is expected to close in September and advances both company’s strategies, they said late Tuesday.

Green Mountain wants to expand its successful single-serve K-Cup lines, and Lavazza has been buying companies in India, Brazil and Argentina to fuel its growth. This is Lavazza’s biggest foreign acquisition.

Lavazza, based in Turin, has agreed to buy newly issued shares at 10 cents par value common stock at a price equal to the 60-day volume weighted average price at closing, less 7.5 percent. The deal includes the possibility of buying additional shares up to 15 percent of Green Mountain.

The deal must be approved by U.S. antitrust regulators.

The companies’ new single-serve products aren’t expected to reach the market until at least 2013.

The Keurig system’s success has been fueling growth for Green Mountain, which is based in Waterbury, Vt.

As shoppers cut spending at cafes during the recession, the systems presented a less-expensive alternative. Rival Starbucks Corp. jumped into the market in September with its Via instant coffee line.

Last month Keurig said its third-quarter revenue rose 64 percent to $311.5 million, thanks largely to rising sales of Keurig machines and accessories, which accounted for about half of the company’s revenue. It expects shipments for K-Cup packs to rise as much as 76 percent this fiscal year.

Green Mountain’s $300 million acquisition of Diedrich Coffee Inc. — one of four roasters licensed to produce K-Cups — closed in May.

The Lavazza investment will let Green Mountain make more purchases, Janney Capital Markets analyst Mitchell Pinheiro told clients in a note Wednesday. It also brings Lavazza’s brand value and expertise to Keurig products and could help with launching Keurig in Europe, he said.

He reiterated his “Buy” rating on the stock and $40 price target.

Shares of Green Mountain fell 47 cents, or 1.5 percent, to close at $30.99 Wednesday.

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gXjW1rzsvwdakXTZmEfHr68flG9Q

MILAN — Italian coffee maker Lavazza said on Wednesday it would buy seven percent of US company Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for 250-million-dollars (191 million euros).

The two companies will also work together to build and market espresso machines and single-serve espresso capsules designed by the Italian company, Lavazza said in a statement.

The investment is expected to be approved in September by US authorities.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters sells more than a hundred specialty coffee brands in the United States and Canada and is one of the leader in the sale of espresso machines in North America.

It closed 2009 with revenues of 803 million dollars.

Family-owned Lavazza said the deal was the biggest it had ever made abroad and part of its recent aggressive push in international markets.

Over the past four years the company has made acquisitions in India, Brasil and Argentina.

Lavazza operates in 90 countries and in 2009 posted a turnover of more than 1 billion euros.

Source: http://www.espressomachines-review.com/the-health-effects-of-coffee-on-your-body/

Can Coffee be a Health Drink?

A few years ago, there were studies saying that coffee may be related to cancer. This prompted people to avoid drinking the caffeinated drink. A couple of years after that study, researches have recounted the study quoting that the investigation is flawed. Current research have indicated that coffee can give the body a lot of benefits.

Harvard researchers are saying that coffee, when drank regularly, may be a remedy for diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and colon cancer. It might even improve your mood and treat daily headache problems. It could even be drank to lower risk of cavities.

Studies show that regular coffee drinkers are 80 percent scarcer to have Parkinson’s disease. While 2-cups-a-day drinkers can lessen the risk of cancer of the colon by 25 percent and 80 percent in liver cirrhosis risk. It can also slash the risk of gallstones by half. There are even studies showing that individuals who smoke and drink heavily, have less heart and liver damage as a result of their coffee intake.

So, what causes these benefits? It is the anti-oxidants, and surprisingly from the caffeine also. Currently, drugs for curing Parkinson’s disease are being developed. These drugs have a derivative of caffeine as their component. Coffee also has chlorogenic acid and tocophenols which are antioxidants. These mineral components can improve insulin sensitivity. When we speak about insulin sensitivity, it is the body’s response to insulin.

There were studies conducted in Europe citing that the trigonelline, the compound that is why coffee smells good and has bitter taste, also has advantages. It may be both antibacterial and anti-adhesive. These stop the formation of dental cavities.

But can everybody drink coffee?

Regrettably, not everybody is in a position to drink coffee. Individuals with bladder and kidney problems, existing diabetes, gallstones, heart problems, high cholesterol levels, hypoglycemia and generalized panic and /or anxiety attacks should avoid coffee drinking altogether. Averting coffee drinking is also advised to expectant women and those with high risk of brittle bones.

For pregnant women, if coffee cannot be ignored, then it is recommended just to drink 1 or 2 cups a day. Infertility, miscarriages and low birth weight among babies are the primary rationality why pregnant women are recommended against drinking coffee.

Excessive caffeine intake can also result in nervousness, anxiety and rapid heartbeat. The caffeine overstimulates the nervous system, making the adrenal glands work over the top. Brittle bones patients are likewise advised not to coffee. Coffee reduces the capability of bones to absorb the necessary minerals, making the bones weak and in risk of brittle bones. But the effects may be reduced if milk is combined with coffee.

For some individuals, coffee can likewise be addictive. Individuals who have stopped drinking coffee experience withdrawal signs. They would get headaches, less energy and alertness, trouble in being focused, get aggravated easily and occasionally even get depressed.

Over caffeine ingestion can also have a sway onto the skin, since it adds to the chance of developing stretch marks. Caffeine can also play a role in weight gain. Although, it is mentioned that coffee drinkers may lose weight in the short-run, but in a longer time of time, coffee can result in gain in weight.

Coffee both has good and bad effects. Similar to other beverages and food, when it is accepted at big amounts, then it is likely that they could have undesirable effects to your body. Whether coffee can be thought to be a health drink, it is your decision to make the choice.