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CNN Live At Daybreak
Dispelling Myths About Coffee
Aired June 11, 2003 - 06:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And as you down that third cup of coffee this morning, some questions to ponder in our troubled world -- does coffee really stain your teeth? Does espresso have more caffeine?
Well, it is time to dispel some myths about coffee.
And no better person to do that than our own Lisa Drayer, who joins us live from New York this morning.
Good morning.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Shall we start with espresso?
DRAYER: Sure. Absolutely.
COSTELLO: Is there more caffeine?
DRAYER: You know, in fact, espresso has less caffeine than coffee. We think that it has more caffeine because it tastes stronger. But how strong it tastes has nothing to do with the caffeine content. In fact, a shot of espresso has about 50 milligrams of caffeine on average, whereas a five ounce cup of coffee has anywhere from 80 to 180 milligrams.
The reason it tastes stronger is because typically darker beans are used, so the darker the roast, the stronger the taste. And it's also more concentrated. It has less water.
COSTELLO: Got you.
What about coffee and your heart? How does it affect it?
DRAYER: Yes, in fact, coffee does not necessarily increase your risk for heart disease. The Nurse's Health Study followed over 65,000 female nurses and they found that even if these nurses drank six or more cups a day, and whether it was decaf or regular, they did not have increased risk of heart disease.
But what you do need to watch out for is unfiltered coffee, because this coffee, this boiled coffee can contain chemicals that may boost triglycerides and LDL, that harmful cholesterol. So use that paper filter.
COSTELLO: That makes me so happy, because I drink about 10 cups a day. I've already had seven. Myth or reality, coffee doesn't have any calories?
DRAYER: Right. In fact, coffee has about one calorie per ounce. There are small amounts of carbohydrates that are extracted in the coffee. But the main source of coffee, calories, rather, in coffee comes from the creamers, the sugar and the syrups. So if you think about, you know, a Starbuck's grande mocha, it has over 400 calories and over 20 grams of fat.
COSTELLO: Wooh!
DRAYER: Yes, got to be careful there. Choose skim milk instead of whole. You can cut those calories in half and eliminate all the fat just by choosing skim.
COSTELLO: OK, myth or reality, if you don't want a jolt, drink decaf.
DRAYER: You know, that's what we think, but, in fact, recent research has showed that you can get a jolt from decaffeinated coffee. Now, it does have small amounts of caffeine. But the researchers think that maybe there's something else in coffee that's responsible for its stimulatory effects. So we do need to see...
COSTELLO: Interesting.
DRAYER: Yes. We need to see more research, though, before we say avoid all coffee if you don't want that jolt.
COSTELLO: OK, this one has got to be true, coffee can stain your teeth, right?
DRAYER: You know, it can stain your teeth, but what's really harmful is the sugar in the coffee. That's what causes the cavities, not the coffee itself. In fact, there is a recent study that shows that coffee may actually protect against cavities. It's only been done in test tubes. We have to see it in humans. But it shows that coffee may have a chemical that has an anti-adhesive property which protects the bacteria from sticking to the enamel and causing cavities.
But we still need to see more on that.
COSTELLO: You've made me feel so much better about drinking coffee because, you know, coffee is my life.
Thank you, Lisa Drayer.
We appreciate it.
DRAYER: Me, too.
COSTELLO: Lots of fun this morning.
DRAYER: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 11, 2003 - 06:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And as you down that third cup of coffee this morning, some questions to ponder in our troubled world -- does coffee really stain your teeth? Does espresso have more caffeine?
Well, it is time to dispel some myths about coffee.
And no better person to do that than our own Lisa Drayer, who joins us live from New York this morning.
Good morning.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Shall we start with espresso?
DRAYER: Sure. Absolutely.
COSTELLO: Is there more caffeine?
DRAYER: You know, in fact, espresso has less caffeine than coffee. We think that it has more caffeine because it tastes stronger. But how strong it tastes has nothing to do with the caffeine content. In fact, a shot of espresso has about 50 milligrams of caffeine on average, whereas a five ounce cup of coffee has anywhere from 80 to 180 milligrams.
The reason it tastes stronger is because typically darker beans are used, so the darker the roast, the stronger the taste. And it's also more concentrated. It has less water.
COSTELLO: Got you.
What about coffee and your heart? How does it affect it?
DRAYER: Yes, in fact, coffee does not necessarily increase your risk for heart disease. The Nurse's Health Study followed over 65,000 female nurses and they found that even if these nurses drank six or more cups a day, and whether it was decaf or regular, they did not have increased risk of heart disease.
But what you do need to watch out for is unfiltered coffee, because this coffee, this boiled coffee can contain chemicals that may boost triglycerides and LDL, that harmful cholesterol. So use that paper filter.
COSTELLO: That makes me so happy, because I drink about 10 cups a day. I've already had seven. Myth or reality, coffee doesn't have any calories?
DRAYER: Right. In fact, coffee has about one calorie per ounce. There are small amounts of carbohydrates that are extracted in the coffee. But the main source of coffee, calories, rather, in coffee comes from the creamers, the sugar and the syrups. So if you think about, you know, a Starbuck's grande mocha, it has over 400 calories and over 20 grams of fat.
COSTELLO: Wooh!
DRAYER: Yes, got to be careful there. Choose skim milk instead of whole. You can cut those calories in half and eliminate all the fat just by choosing skim.
COSTELLO: OK, myth or reality, if you don't want a jolt, drink decaf.
DRAYER: You know, that's what we think, but, in fact, recent research has showed that you can get a jolt from decaffeinated coffee. Now, it does have small amounts of caffeine. But the researchers think that maybe there's something else in coffee that's responsible for its stimulatory effects. So we do need to see...
COSTELLO: Interesting.
DRAYER: Yes. We need to see more research, though, before we say avoid all coffee if you don't want that jolt.
COSTELLO: OK, this one has got to be true, coffee can stain your teeth, right?
DRAYER: You know, it can stain your teeth, but what's really harmful is the sugar in the coffee. That's what causes the cavities, not the coffee itself. In fact, there is a recent study that shows that coffee may actually protect against cavities. It's only been done in test tubes. We have to see it in humans. But it shows that coffee may have a chemical that has an anti-adhesive property which protects the bacteria from sticking to the enamel and causing cavities.
But we still need to see more on that.
COSTELLO: You've made me feel so much better about drinking coffee because, you know, coffee is my life.
Thank you, Lisa Drayer.
We appreciate it.
DRAYER: Me, too.
COSTELLO: Lots of fun this morning.
DRAYER: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
