Coffee typically refers to the drink made from the roasted beans of a coffee tree. The two main coffee trees used in the commercial industry are Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora. Coffea arabica represents about 70 percent of the world’s coffee production, and it tends to be higher in price and lower in caffeine. The other most common type, Coffea canephora, makes up 30 percent of the world’s market and is used mainly for blends and instant coffees. It has a more distinctive taste than arabica and around 50 to 60 percent more caffeine. Roasting the beans brings out the aroma and flavor and readies them to be ground and brewed.
    According to Penn State Extension’s publication Creating Health & Nutrition there are a variety of ways to prepare and serve coffee. A typical “cup” of coffee is considered to be from six to eight ounces. The caffeine content varies by preparation and type but an eight ounce cup of ‘undressed’ brewed coffee could contain between 75 and 200 milligrams, one ounce of espresso 45-75 milligrams, and instant varieties could have between 27-173 milligrams.
    Coffee can also be served “decaffeinated”, while keeping the taste and smell at their original levels. Four methods of decaffeinating coffee exist today: indirect solvent process, direct solvent process, Swiss water process, and carbon dioxide process. Indirect and direct solvent processes use the FDA-approved chemicals, the Swiss water process uses water, and the carbon dioxide process uses carbon dioxide to remove the caffeine from the coffee beans. Decaffeinated coffee still contains two to four milligrams of caffeine in an eight-ounce cup.
    Research shows that when used appropriately, coffee can be a safe, enjoyable and even beneficial brew.

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