INTERVIEW EXCERPT WITH AUTHOR CAL OREY

Coffee Has Perks

Lose weight, fight cancer and help your heart. The author of The Healing Powers of Coffee tells why a good ol' cup of Joe is being recognized as a hot new health food.

In her new book, The Healing Powers of Coffee, Cal Orey pours over the research to brew up some incredible facts about these magical beans. Here, she sits down for a little coffee Q&A, where she shares insights and tips on how coffee can wake up your wellness routine, helping you to not only stay trim, but also reduce your risk of chronic diseases--even substantially lowering your risk of a heart attack and even help you shed those unwanted pandemic pounds!.

Q: What inspired your interest in coffee?

A: I have penned the Healing Powers series--books on superfoods. Since coffee gets a bad rap, I thought it would be fascinating to write about a vice that has gone to virtue. The health benefits of java are controversial, but groundbreaking research shows that it's got perks. Coffee has been touted as the "newest health food."

Q: What gives coffee its many health benefits?

A: Coffee's amazing antioxidant power is what makes it special. Two mighty antioxidants--chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid--have been given credit for its health benefits. Coffee boasts other health-boosting antioxidants, including benzoic acids, flavonoids and proanthocyanidins.
Q: Do certain types of coffee have more benefits than others?

A: Drinking freshly ground coffee from whole beans can help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Q: What about the benefits of green coffee beans?

A: Green coffee refers to the new or unroasted [beans] of Coffea fruits. It has been praised for its weight-loss benefits on the popular "Dr. Oz Show." One study published in January 2012 in the Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity Journal shows 16 adults using green coffee bean extract lost an average of 17 lb in just 22 weeks. It's believed that chlorogenic acid slows absorption of fat from food intake and also boosts metabolism of extra fat. Evidently, it may be a better source of chlorogenic acid than traditional brewed coffee.
Q: What's an interesting fact about coffee that most people don't know?

A: You can cook and bake with coffee. You can incorporate coffee in recipes like Cappuccino Biscotti, Thai Coffee Spiced Chicken Sates, Coffee Cheesecake and Maple Espresso.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

"Cal Orey delivers a tour de force in coffee culture revealing the health benefits and discovering news trends along the way. She does all the work so you can reap the benefits." -- Coffee.org