What's in Your Cup?

Have you ever wondered what is in a cup of Joe...I mean besides the caffeine, the sugar or the cream that you may put in?

There are actually over 900 compounds that make up a cup of coffee. This includes lipids, vitamins, carbohydrates and even fiber! Yes, fiber. According to an article in Scientific American that appeared March 13, 2007. Scientific American reported that food scientists at the National Research Council in Madrid, Fulgencio Saura-Calixto and Elena Diaz-Rubio found that an 8 ounce cup of coffee can contain as much as 1.5 grams of soluble fiber. Not that coffee should become your main source of fiber, but since most people are far from getting their recommended daily allowance for fiber, it is nice to know you are getting a little more with your daily fix of coffee.

Other interesting compounds in coffee include;
Antioxidants- one of the richest sources of antioxidants in our diet. Helps fight oxidative stress, keeping us younger and helps prevent some cancers.
Lipids- coffee contains lipids similar to vegetable oil and is what gives rise to the wonderful aroma of coffee since the aromatic compounds are mostly oil soluble.
Vitamins- coffee contains many B vitamins, Calcium, Folic acid, Potassium, Zinc and vitamin C.
Protein- coffee in it's dry state contains about 10% protein in the form of a myriad of amino acids such as lysine, arginine, cysteine and glutamic acid, just to name a few.
So there is a lot to celebrate with a cup of coffee...aside from lifting the morning fog!