The year 2019 has been prolific in terms of new evidence regarding the effects of coffee and caffeine consumption on diverse aspects of human functioning. This book collects 20 high-quality manuscripts published in Nutrients that include original investigation or systematic review studies of the effects of caffeine intake on human performance and health. The diversity of the articles published in this Special Issue highlights the extent of the effects of coffee and caffeine on human functioning, while underpinning the positive nature of most of these effects. This book will help with understanding why the natural sources of caffeine are so widely present in the nutrition behaviors of modern society.
The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide a thorough and up-to-date presentation of research investigating the impact of coffee and/or caffeine intake on various health outcomes. We welcome the submission of original research articles and/or systematic Reviews/meta-analyses focusing on several aspects of coffee/caffeine intake in relation to human health. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following topics: - Human clinical trials of coffee or caffeine use in relation to disease or intermediate phenotypes. - Epidemiological studies of habitual coffee or caffeine intake in relation to human health, among the general public, as well as, among special populations (i.e., children, pregnant women, diabetics, cancer patients, hypertensives, etc.) - Mechanisms of action of nutrients and other bioactive components of coffee/caffeine. - Studies integrating genetic or physiological markers of coffee/caffeine intake to investigations of coffee and health.
The physiological or psychological stresses that employees bring to their workplace affect not only their own performance but that of their co-workers and others. These stresses are often compounded by those of the job itself. Medical personnel, firefighters, police, and military personnel in combat settingsâ€"among othersâ€"experience highly unpredictable timing and types of stressors. This book reviews and comments on the performance-enhancing potential of specific food components. It reflects the views of military and non-military scientists from such fields as neuroscience, nutrition, physiology, various medical specialties, and performance psychology on the most up-to-date research available on physical and mental performance enhancement in stressful conditions. Although placed within the context of military tasks, the volume will have wide-reaching implications for individuals in any job setting.
This report from the Committee on Military Nutrition Research reviews the history of caffeine usage, the metabolism of caffeine, and its physiological effects. The effects of caffeine on physical performance, cognitive function and alertness, and alleviation of sleep deprivation impairments are discussed in light of recent scientific literature. The impact of caffeine consumption on various aspects of health, including cardiovascular disease, reproduction, bone mineral density, and fluid homeostasis are reviewed. The behavioral effects of caffeine are also discussed, including the effect of caffeine on reaction to stress, withdrawal effects, and detrimental effects of high intakes. The amounts of caffeine found to enhance vigilance and reaction time consistently are reviewed and recommendations are made with respect to amounts of caffeine appropriate for maintaining alertness of military personnel during field operations. Recommendations are also provided on the need for appropriate labeling of caffeine-containing supplements, and education of military personnel on the use of these supplements. A brief review of some alternatives to caffeine is also provided.
Caffeine in Food and Dietary Supplements is the summary of a workshop convened by the Institute of Medicine in August 2013 to review the available science on safe levels of caffeine consumption in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements and to identify data gaps. Scientists with expertise in food safety, nutrition, pharmacology, psychology, toxicology, and related disciplines; medical professionals with pediatric and adult patient experience in cardiology, neurology, and psychiatry; public health professionals; food industry representatives; regulatory experts; and consumer advocates discussed the safety of caffeine in food and dietary supplements, including, but not limited to, caffeinated beverage products, and identified data gaps. Caffeine, a central nervous stimulant, is arguably the most frequently ingested pharmacologically active substance in the world. Occurring naturally in more than 60 plants, including coffee beans, tea leaves, cola nuts and cocoa pods, caffeine has been part of innumerable cultures for centuries. But the caffeine-in-food landscape is changing. There are an array of new caffeine-containing energy products, from waffles to sunflower seeds, jelly beans to syrup, even bottled water, entering the marketplace. Years of scientific research have shown that moderate consumption by healthy adults of products containing naturally-occurring caffeine is not associated with adverse health effects. The changing caffeine landscape raises concerns about safety and whether any of these new products might be targeting populations not normally associated with caffeine consumption, namely children and adolescents, and whether caffeine poses a greater health risk to those populations than it does for healthy adults. This report delineates vulnerable populations who may be at risk from caffeine exposure; describes caffeine exposure and risk of cardiovascular and other health effects on vulnerable populations, including additive effects with other ingredients and effects related to pre-existing conditions; explores safe caffeine exposure levels for general and vulnerable populations; and identifies data gaps on caffeine stimulant effects.
Quality Determinants In Coffee Production presents a comprehensive overview of the main determinants of coffee quality during processing. Authored by members of the Laboratory for Analysis and Research in Coffee at the Federal Institute of Espírito Santo, the chapters in this text explain how coffee quality can be affected through each step of the main processing methods. The first section explores the history of coffee processing, covering how the processes and techniques of sensorial analysis have developed. The second section covers the evolution of these techniques and how various complexities can affect their use, plus the statistical tools that are used to increase test accuracy. Another section focuses on the relationship between fruit microbiology and coffee quality, promoting an understanding of how yeasts, fungi and bacteria effect the quality of coffee during processing. Another section is dedicated to the biotechnological processes used in coffee production, including the applicability of induced and spontaneous routes from the manipulation of raw material, the relationship between wet processing and spontaneous fermentation and the construction of sensorial routes. A final section explores volatile coffee compounds and gas chromatography techniques, including chemical and sensory maps. The majority of the reference works published on coffee processing have a pragmatic approach covering production, harvesting, post-harvesting and marketing. This work goes beyond these subjects, covering the factors that impact quality and how they lead to either qualitative reduction or gains during processing. New technological and scientific indicators for the modification and the creation of sensory routes are extensively covered, as are the international protocols used in the sensorial analysis of coffee. With its broad approach, this text presents a multidisciplinary perspective connecting areas such as statistics, biochemistry, analytical chemistry and microbiology to the results of sensory analysis using different technologies and processes. A direct relationship between these factors is established in order to help researchers understand their combined effect on coffee quality during processing.
Epidemiology is a subject of growing importance, as witnessed by its role in the description and prediction of the impact of new diseases such as AIDS and new-variant CJD. Epidemiology: Study Design and Data Analysis covers the whole spectrum of standard analytical techniques used in epidemiology, from descriptive techniques in report writing to model diagnostics from generalized linear models. The author discusses the advantages, disadvantages, and alternatives to case-control, cohort and intervention studies and details such crucial concepts as incidence, prevalence, confounding and interaction. Many exercises are provided, based on real epidemiological data sets collected from all over the world. The data sets are also available on an associated web site. Epidemiology: Study Design and Data Analysis will be an invaluable textbook for statistics and medical students studying epidemiology, and a standard reference for practicing epidemiologists.
We live in an era of constantly accelerating scientific and social change brought about by developments in education, technology and modem communication. This is a time of questioning and new perceptions affecting all facets of our daily lives. With increasing frequency issues are being raised which demand answers and new approaches. This increases the responsibility of those involved in determining the future shape of the world of coffee. The dependence of developing countries on income generated from trade in coffee, the emergence of new processing techniques, health implications and questions of quality of coffee in the cup are among the issues related to coffee. The knowledge required to form the basis to resolve these issues for the benefit of the multitudes of coffee drinkers will be generated only through the systematic build up of information and its subsequent evaluation. Science and modem technology provide essential tools for these endeavours. This book should act as a stimulant to thought and creativity so the issues facing the industry may be fully analysed and a healthy future for coffee secured. It marks a step forward in laying the foundation for coffee's future. Alexandre F. Beltrao Executive Director International Coffee Organisation London PREFACE We have long been fascinated by coffee and on many occasions bemoaned the lack of a comprehensive text dealing with the varied scientific aspects. With the encouragement of Tim Hardwick of Croom Helm Ltd, we decided to pool our resources and produce just such a multi-author volume.
