Gulp down your coffee if you want to taste it better

Stop sipping coffee just gulp it down if you want the best flavour from your favourite brew, a study advises. Taking big slurps of coffee releases much more aroma compared to merely drinking it slowly, researchers who conducted the study say. 'The findings could be useful to understand the factors which contribute to attract consumers to the pleasant aroma of coffee,' they added.

The study looked at 'sip volume' when drinking coffee and found larger sips have a 'higher aroma release'. It also considered different sipping amounts and the impact they had on the smell of coffee. It was found that different coffee brewing techniques appeared to affect aroma release and that the bigger the sip taken, the more fragrance was released.

The researchers, from the University of Naples, said it was well known that smell and taste are related and that one can have a significant impact on the other. They said the varying levels of aroma from different sized sips or gulps could be explained by the amount of saliva in drinkers' mouths.

For the study, they tested four different types of coffee brews -- American, Neopolitan, moka and espresso. Espresso coffee was identified as giving off the most aroma when bigger rather than smaller sips were taken. However, the advice goes against that for other drinks, such as wine, where people are advised to take small amounts in their mouth to get the maximum flavour and aroma.

The findings of the study have been published in the latest edition of the journal 'Food Research International'.

Potential health benefits of coffee:

1. Good for your heart

Scientists say green tea and coffee, if made a regular part of the diet, could benefit the heart, according to research conducted in Japan and published in the US. Green tea and coffee may help lower your risk of having a stroke, especially when both are a regular part of your diet, according to research published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. 'This is the first large-scale study to examine the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on stroke risks,' said Yoshihiro Kokubo, lead author of the study at Japan's National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Centre. 'You may make a small but positive lifestyle change to help lower the risk of stroke by adding daily green tea to your diet.' Read more

2. Could prevent autoimmune liver disease!

Research has shown that regular coffee drinkers are at a reduced risk of primary sclerosing cholangitis - an autoimmune liver disease. PSC is an inflammatory disease of the bile ducts that results in inflammation and subsequent fibrosis that can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and biliary cancer. Study author Craig Lammert, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist said, 'While rare, PSC has extremely detrimental effects.' Read more

3. Could reduce risk of suicide!

A study suggested that having two to four cups of coffee every day can reduce the risk of suicide among men and women by 50 per cent. The finding was reached after researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health reviewed data from three previous US studies. They found that the risk of suicide amongst adults, drinking several cups of caffeinated coffee on a daily basis, was about half compared to those who drank decaffeinated coffee, very little coffee or no coffee at all. ( Read: Health benefits of coffee to help justify your addiction! )

With inputs from ANI

For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.