On January 14, a study was released indicating that people who drink coffee are at a lower risk for depression than those who do not drink coffee. Was it coincidence or serendipity that I was sitting in the lavish Miele booth at the Living Kitchen show in Cologne, learning all about their magical new coffee machine that very same day?
The coffee-depression study involved 263,925 people. For a year, their drink consumption was evaluated. About 10 years later, researchers asked the participants whether they had been diagnosed with depression since the year 2000. A total of 11,311 of the participants had been.
Participants who drank more than four cans or cups per day of soda were 30 percent more likely to develop depression than those who drank no soda. People who drank four cups of coffee per day were about 10 percent less likely to develop depression than those who drank no coffee.
Sarah is getting her coffee on in the Miele press room
“Our research suggests that cutting out or down on sweetened diet drinks or replacing them with unsweetened coffee may naturally help lower your depression risk,” said study author Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health in Research.
Well, I’m not sure if I could do four cups of unsweetened coffee, but I DO know that German milchkaffee (milk coffee) is extremely tasty. At home, I like decaf because regular makes me jittery. But hand me some German milchkaffee and I get happy. Put me in a study!
While I helped myself to the free coffee and lunch (thanks, Miele), I learned about their new coffee machine from none other than Markus Miele, managing director and co-proprietor of (Insert his famous last name here)! The machine was so brilliant – not only does it know how tall your cup is, it also somehow knows how wide, so you get the exact right amount of coffee in your cup without the splashes and hot splutters. They gave a demo with a tiny espresso cup and a tall latte macchiato glass.
There was even a feature called the CupSensor, which reacts to beverages made with milk froth by raising the spout 1 centimeter (that’s “a little bit” in U.S.-speak) after milk delivery so that the spout stays clean. It does other helpful chores, such as cleaning itself and making 2 different types of coffee drinks at once. It also has a milk system that for all I know comes with a happy cow right inside the machine (I suspect it’s more like an ease-of-use milk container, but I’m holding out for a mini-cow).
I heard a rumor that it’s expensive, but when you add up the cost over a year of those maccho-latte-frappe-cini-ballerini drinks you’ve been buying for $5 a pop, I guess it’s all relative. Besides, you read the bit about how it cleans itself, right?
I want this machine in my house. My house is in the U.S. This machine isn’t even available in Germany until May. I do not know when it will come to the U.S. Dear Miele, we all want this machine. Please send it to the U.S. We promise to get our own cows. Please send coffee while you’re at it. We promise to never drink soda. We promise to drink our four cups of milchkaffee every day. Thank you.
Miele Press Room
I was one of 12 bloggers invited on BlogTour Cologne by Modenus. Want to see some wonderful pictures of the team? Fellow blogger/ photographer Courtney Price has them. My picture shows how happy I can get after milchkaffee!
I was not paid to talk about the Miele Generation 6000 coffee maker. I just think you’ll like it. Miele was one of the sponsors for the Modenus BlogTour Cologne, for which I am very grateful. And thirsty. And I’d like to see this study replicated using milchkaffee.
What is your favorite coffee drink? Does it make you happy?
Photo credits: Happy Coffee People: TheGiantVermin, Coffee Maker: Miele; Sarah in the Miele Press Room: Courtney Price; Press Room: Me; Cow: JelleS
Yes, coffee makes you happy, so does the anticipation of great coffee when you see the welcome sight of the Miele Coffee Bar at IMM Living Kitchen!!!
Courtney recently posted..Mr. Steam Spa Evening BlogTour Cologne
You’re not kidding. I loved hanging out in the Miele press room because they kept bringing us tasty items. Who would say no to something that’s free and delicious???
Fun and Fit recently posted..Abs and Core Exercises Safe for the Lower Back
I don’t know if coffee makes me HAPPY but I do enjoy it, dark and black. And I love the various Eurpean dark roasts with a splash of milk or cream. I read somewhere that the milk offsets the caffeine somewhat.
I learned to drink coffee as a teenage with my Daddy. He made what I call Cowboy Coffee… some water in the bottom of a pot, placed on the stove to boil. Then add the coffee grounds and let tme settle. It was strong but if you can drink that, you can drink most anything. What I really liked about it was being with my Dad, just the 2 of us up early in the house, sitting in the kitchen together, sipping and chatting. I think that coffee sure did make me happy!
So glad you enjoyed your trip and saw so many neat new things!
Oh, I’ve heard of that cowboy coffee, but have never tried it. I think it would kill me. It sounds like the sludge that’s left in the bottom of my coffee press! I think the smell of coffee makes me happy, and the taste depends on the particular cup. But I’d love it too, if it were tied to happy memories with my dad (who is luckily still alive).
Fun and Fit recently posted..Pain Free Movement in 2013: Who Wants In?
Come on, Miele, let’s get this machine stateside! I love coffee and it makes me happyyyyyy. And if my machine would clean itself, that would be fantastic!
TriGirl recently posted..I Will Bowl You Over with My "Unbelievable" Bowling Skills
I’m with you TriGirl. I’d love to have this puppy as a built-in for my kitchen. I’d sure impress my guests, don’t you think!! Especially if I could teach it to clean the whole house, and not just itself!
Fun and Fit recently posted..Food, Glorious Food: What do a Steam Oven and Cologne Cathedral Have in Common?
I LOVE this machine! The only thing it doesn’t do is bring coffee to you in bed in the morning, and since my hubby already does that (and I don’t plan on trading him in), I would be happy with it as is!
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You don’t want a little cow to go with it?
AlexandraFunFit recently posted..Blood, Stress and Diet
I want!!! I love coffee and yes, somedays I do manage four cups LOL.
MCM Mama recently posted..This is the south, right???
You can do 4 cups, with all that running? Wow! Well, according to the research you aren’t at risk for getting depressed.
AlexandraFunFit recently posted..BlogTour: Cologne, Amsterdam and Gifts for Your Home
I’m always skeptical of these. Couldn’t it also be about the nature or personality of coffee-drinkers in general? Maybe they’re more active and busy compared to those who don’t.
Just hypothesizing. Don’t know! But interesting.
Meredith recently posted..Learn about Sugar and Setbacks: 21 DSD Reflection
So true, Meredith. You never know where the confounding variables might be hiding. All research is merely a piece of a puzzle; not the final word until enough of it adds up to create overwhelming evidence. I’ll be following further research with interest.
AlexandraFunFit recently posted..BlogTour: Cologne, Amsterdam and Gifts for Your Home
For me to live on happy street absolutely includes a nice jolt of yummy coffee to start my mornings, although I am a new Keurig owner. This fun little machine allows me to make all types of coffee drinks without the hassle of cleaning the coffee pot ever again. And that’s a big,happy thumbs up! I drink coffee in moderation with hopes that the benefits out weigh the risks.
I’ve heard good things about the Keurig Jackie. The Germans do a great job with appliances, that’s for sure. I’m with you about not wanting the hassle of cleaning the coffee pot.
AlexandraFunFit recently posted..Abs and Core Exercises Safe for the Lower Back
My favorite to drink is Jamaican Blue Mountain. I get it shipped to me straight from Jamaica. I’m fancy like that. But it’s pricey, of course. Any supposed Jamaican coffee I’ve bought here in the states has proved to be a knock-off of pure nastiness. Gotta go straight to the source!
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Please bring some of that Jamaican Blue to Fitbloggin’ so I can try a little sip. Something tells me it doesn’t come in a decaf version though!
AlexandraFunFit recently posted..Pain Free Movement in 2013: Who Wants In?
Hello Alexandra,
Coffee increases our bodies metabolism and fight against heart diseases and diabetes. It gives us a fresh feeling and increases our performance if we consume moderately. Coffee is a perfect start of our day.
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Coffee does make me happy, but only in the morning. If I have any after 2 p.m. it deprives me of sleep and makes me cranky
I’m really confused about all those different results from research though. Can’t they just make up their mind? Good or bad?
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I can’t have regular coffee after lunch or I’m shaky and wide awake for a very long time. But I do like decaf. And research really is confusing. In the end, I believe everything should be in moderation for most people. Pretty easy rule and not as confusing.
Fun and Fit recently posted..Abs and Core Exercises Safe for the Lower Back
This post will make coffee drinkers happy! Coffee is such a misunderstood beverage. Thought at one time to be the cause of strokes and heart attacks, it was eventually found to have no harmful effect on brain or heart. Now, to know that coffee drinking reduces the chance of suffering from depression, there isn’t any reason left not to enjoy a cup of java.
I personally have never been a coffee drinker, but I do drink a lot of tea. Did they mention anything about tea drinkers and depression?
What I do notice is that people definitely seem happier after getting their coffee fix in the morning!
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