How to Make the Perfect Shot of Espresso Every Time

The average American drinks more than three cups of coffee a day, contributing to a $40 billion industry in the U.S. alone, according to the National Coffee Association. But not all coffee is created equal; flavor profiles vary. Focusing on espresso, scientists say they have now unlocked the key to creating consistent cups of java.

The researchers are presenting their results today at the 255th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world’s largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 13,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.

“One day you might have a good cup of coffee and the next day you might not. From a scientific perspective, it has always puzzled me why we couldn’t do the same thing twice,” Christopher H. Hendon, Ph.D., says. “My research looks at every variable that goes into making espresso coffee, from grinding and packing the ground coffee, to water pressure and mineral chemistry. If every single café in America were to implement the procedure, it would save the U.S. $300 million a year by reducing the amount of coffee beans used to make espresso, while improving reproducibility.”

Hendon’s research is some of the first of its kind, earning him the title, “Dr. Coffee.”

Previous research in his lab explored several variables that impact the reproducibility of espresso. For example, water hardness varies throughout the U.S., and this can affect flavor. “Hard” water with a high amount of magnesium and calcium causes coffee to have a stronger flavor than “soft” water This is because compounds such as caffeine stick to magnesium during the brewing process. Hard water can also have high amounts of bicarbonate, which causes coffee to have a more bitter flavor.

The freshness of the coffee beans can also impact how tasty a cup of coffee is. Freshly roasted coffee contains carbon dioxide and other compounds that easily evaporate. Over time, these volatile compounds escape the beans, resulting in a less flavorful cup of coffee. Lower temperature slows the rate of evaporation, which explains why storing coffee in the fridge extends its shelf life.

Hendon’s team at the University of Oregon has been focusing on the process of grinding coffee beans and the brewing method itself. “There is a point in grinding coffee beans when you make too many small particles, which stick together and result in reduced extractions,” Hendon says. Although smaller particles mean a greater surface area, which should result in consistently tasty espresso, there is a critical point at which smaller isn’t better. For this reason, the grinders used can have a significant impact on the flavor of the resulting cup of coffee.

Additionally, when extracting the espresso, the water should come into contact with the coffee grounds uniformly. Passing water through the grounds in a systematic manner would ensure that all of the grounds come in contact with water equally. In comparison, with a traditional drip-brew coffee pot, the water drips mainly through the center of the grounds while the grounds on the outside have little contact with water.

By collaborating with baristas, Hendon developed a method by which they can achieve their desired flavor profile consistently. Hendon proposes an optimization process achieved by altering grinding size and brew ratio. “By predetermining the coffee-to-water ratio, as well as the water pressure, the maximum extraction can be systematically determined,” he says. “The barista can then iteratively improve their espresso reproducibility, while reducing waste coffee mass.”

Now, he plans to take his work in another direction, focusing on the impact of temperature on grinding coffee. Specifically, he explains that cooled coffee grinds more uniformly and would therefore impart greater control on the resulting cup of joe.

Source: American Chemical Society

Chinese-style Stir-fried Silver Needle Noodle with Chicken

Ingredients

400 g silver needle noodle (銀針粉)
120 g chicken thigh shredded
4 Chinese mushrooms, soaked in water until softened and then shredded
80 g bean sprouts
8 stalks yellow chive, cut into sections
10 sugar snap peas

Chicken Marinade

1 tsp light soy sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1/8 tsp sesame oil
dash ground white pepper

Seasoning

1-1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Rinse and drain silver needle noodles, mix with seasoning ingredients.
2. Mix chicken with marinade and set aside for 5 minutes.
3. Trim and blanch sugar snap peas in boiling water. Remove and drain.
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil, stir-fry chicken with garlic until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Add mushrooms and noodles, toss to combine.
6. Mix in yellow chives, bean sprouts and sugar snap peas. Stir-fry quickly to combine over high heat. Remove and serve.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Source: Rice and Noodles

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In Pictures: Character Bento

Charaben

High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol Associated with Noisy Jobs

High blood pressure and high cholesterol are more common among workers exposed to loud noise at work according to a CDC study published this month in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

Researchers at CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also found that a quarter of U.S. workers – an estimated 41 million people – reported a history of noise exposure at work.

“Reducing workplace noise levels is critical not just for hearing loss prevention – it may also impact blood pressure and cholesterol,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “Worksite health and wellness programs that include screenings for high blood pressure and cholesterol should also target noise-exposed workers.”

Loud Noise Linked to Heart Disease

High blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol are key risk factors for heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women. Loud noise is one of the most common workplace hazards in the United States affecting about 22 million workers each year.

NIOSH researchers analyzed data from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey to estimate the prevalence of occupational noise exposure, hearing difficulty and heart conditions within U.S. industries and occupations. They also looked at the association between workplace noise exposure and heart disease. The analysis showed:

• Twenty-five percent of current workers had a history of work-related noise exposure; 14 percent were exposed in the last year.
• Twelve percent of current workers had hearing difficulty, 24 percent had high blood pressure and 28 percent had high cholesterol. Of these cases 58 percent, 14 percent, and 9 percent, respectively, can be attributed to occupational noise exposure.
• Industries with the highest prevalence of occupational noise exposure were mining (61%), construction (51%), and manufacturing (47%).
• Occupations with the highest prevalence of occupational noise exposure were production (55%); construction and extraction (54%); and installation, maintenance, and repair (54%).

“A significant percentage of the workers we studied have hearing difficulty, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol that could be attributed to noise at work,” said study co-author Liz Masterson, Ph.D. “If noise could be reduced to safer levels in the workplace, more than 5 million cases of hearing difficulty among noise-exposed workers could potentially be prevented. This study provides further evidence of an association of occupational noise exposure with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and the potential to prevent these conditions if noise is reduced. It is important that workers be screened regularly for these conditions in the workplace or through a healthcare provider, so interventions can occur. As these conditions are more common among noise-exposed workers, they could especially benefit from these screenings.”

Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Some Drugs Older Adults should Avoid

Patricia Corrigan wrote . . . . . . . .

You fill a prescription, a medication you’ve relied on before. A few days later, you experience a troubling side effect. You read online that no one your age should take this medication.

What happened?

Drug Side Effects and Older Adults

Two pharmacists say the aging process is to blame, and they reveal here the names of medications on their “black list” that older adults may want to avoid.

“Prescribing medications for people 65 and older can be more challenging, because some drugs can be more toxic or cause more side effects than when you were younger,” says Kirby Lee, a pharmacist and associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of California at San Francisco. “As your body ages, it absorbs medications differently. They can be metabolized differently by your liver and excreted differently by your kidneys, so you may be more sensitive to some medications.”

That’s what happened to me.

Antibiotic Causes Painful Achilles

One recent weekend, I experienced a relapse while on doxycycline, an antibiotic prescribed for a bacterial sinus infection. The doctor on call I spoke with prescribed a stronger antibiotic for me, levofloxacin (Levaquin), one I’d taken successfully a decade ago.

After four days on the new drug, a throbbing Achilles tendon awakened me in the wee hours. I hobbled to the computer and learned the drug is not recommended for people 60 and older. I am 68. Later that morning, I called my internist, who advised me to stop taking it and start helping the tendon to heal — no easy task, and one with no quick fix.

Our aging bodies are not the only challenge. Only about 7,500 physicians in the U.S. specialize in the care of older adults, according to the American Geriatrics Society. With 46 million Americans age 65 and older today, that works out to about one geriatrician per 6,100 patients.

That’s obviously not enough geriatricians now — and by 2060, some 98 million Americans will be 65 and over.

“Until you enter a nursing home or assisted living, you might not see a specialist good at treating older adults, because we don’t yet have a health care system designed to take care of older adults,” says Chad Worz. He is a consultant pharmacist with Medication Managers in Cincinnati and president-elect of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP).

More Assistance from Pharmacists

Based in Alexandria, Va., and with more than 9,000 members, ASCP is said to be the only international professional society devoted to “optimal medication management and improved health outcomes” for older people. Consultant pharmacists work in adult day centers, assisted living facilities, community pharmacies, hospice programs, home care programs, mental health facilities, nursing homes, pharmaceutical companies, physicians’ offices and rehab centers.

On the job, ASCP members evaluate individuals’ medication lists to determine which drugs can be dropped. “In that regard, I am an anti-pharmacist,” Worz says, laughing.

“Every day I look at the records for people on 14 or 15 medications and try to get them to eight or nine. Instead of stopping a drug that causes a certain side effect, doctors often prescribe a drug to fix the side effect,” he says. “I don’t blame the doctors. I blame the system, which does not incentivize patients to have sit-down conversations with doctors or pharmacists about medications.”

Medications You May Want to Avoid

Here are six classes of medications considered especially problematic for older adults:

• Benzodiazepines Prescribed — often over-prescribed — for anxiety and sleep disorders, this class of drugs includes diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), alpraxolam (Xanax) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium). The medications can cause confusion and greatly increase the risk of falling.
• Non-Benzodiazepines Prescribed for insomnia, Zolpidem (Ambien), zaleplon (Sonata) and eszopiclone (Lunesta) are highly addictive and also can cause bizarre sleep behaviors, including sleepwalking.
• Anticholinergics Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), acetaminophen with diphenhydramine (Tylenol PM) and some muscle relaxants that contain diphenhydramine (an antihistamine) can cause confusion, constipation, dry mouth, blurry vision or urine retention in older adults. Cumulative exposure to these drugs can lead to dementia.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Ibuprofen (Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), aspirin and other drugs in this class are “tough on kidneys,” Lee says, and increase the possibility of stomach bleeds. They are not recommended for long-term use. For management of arthritis pain, Lee recommends acetaminophen (Tylenol), physical therapy, acupuncture, aquatic therapy or acupressure.
• Antipsychotics This class of drugs is useful to treat significant psychosis or serious mental health conditions, but is too often prescribed for mild agitation, anxiety or depression. Lee suggests taking the lowest effective dose for the shortest term possible. “People get started on these and then they don’t top,” he says.
• Old drugs Though barbiturates are rarely prescribed any longer, these sedatives are still available and are highly addictive both physically and psychologically.

Worz notes that blood pressure medications also can cause fatigue or lead to falls.

And he suggests being cautious with the dosage for ranitidine (Zantac), often taken for heartburn. “Taking 150mg twice daily is a normal dose, but in an older person, kidney function may no longer be sufficient to eliminate the drug quickly.” That can lead to possible cognitive issues that can look like dementia.

“Nobody should have to live with a problem that is the result of taking a drug,” Worz adds. “Your doctor or pharmacist usually can find better drugs with fewer side effects to help you.”

For information about other medications that may cause problems for older adults, Worz recommends the “Beers List,” named for the physician who first published the list, , which is updated periodically by the American Geriatrics Society.

Why That List of Side Effects Is Important

And what about that antibiotic that caused me so much trouble?

Worz notes that other antibiotics in the same class have been pulled from the market after causing changes in the nervous system, hallucinations and other problems. “Still, it’s impossible to predict exactly how a medication may affect someone, and even a lengthy list of potential side effects may not be specific enough,” he adds.

I can’t be angry with the physician who neglected to take my age into consideration, because I share in the blame.

When I picked up the prescription, I waved off a consultation with the pharmacist, saying I’d taken this antibiotic before. Then, after reading just a sentence or two of the lengthy list provided to me of possible side effects, I tossed the paper into a recycling bin.

That is one of two typical responses, Lee says. “I’ve seen people blow it off — or get so scared they won’t take anything. The information on side effects is based on factual data and written for legal purposes, but it will help you sort out common and less-common side effects, learn what side effects are considered severe and be aware of contraindications.”

Once you read the material, Lee adds, you can weigh the side effects against the benefits of taking the medication. “You also can ask the pharmacist or your doctor what taking the medication might mean for you, and what alternatives there are,” he notes.

Don’t Keep Secrets from Your Doctor

Lee stresses the importance of providing your doctor with an updated list of everything you take, including prescribed medications, over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements. Also, alert your doctor about any drug allergies or bad reactions to medications you’ve had.

As always, talk to your doctor before you stop taking any prescribed medications. And, remember: no one bit of advice fits all.

“Keep in mind that complications from medications are general trends due to body changes by the time you are 65 or 70,” Lee says. “Some people are likely to experience these complications, but others may have a body that functions like that of a 35-year-old. Always look at your metrics and go from there.”

Source : NextAvenue

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Read also at University of Minnesota:

Research Brief: Older adults often prescribed meds linked to higher side effect risks . . . . .

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