Coffee is a plant native to tropical Africa, from Ethiopia specifically. Due to its flavor it quickly conquered the Arab world, Turkey and then Europe. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries coffee was introduced in Southeast Asia and the West Indies.
The largest coffee producers are Brazil and Colombia, followed by Indonesia and Mexico, but it is grown in more than 50 countries.
Coffee production process
The following video shows how coffee is processe: Source
Benefits of coffee
Coffee, according to recent studies, has the following benefits:
Attenuates episodes of asthma and allergies.
Prevents dental caries.
Activates the burning of fats in the body.
Replenishes the potassium deficit.
Contributes to the improvement of cardiovascular function.
It is a powerful source of antioxidants.
Does coffee contain vitamins?
Although you do not believe it, coffee is a source of vitamin P needed to strengthen blood vessels.
A cup of coffee can contain 20% of the daily requirement of vitamin P.
Coffee and caffeine
The main active biological component of coffee is the organic caffeine alkaloid. This active component increases the speed of human reaction, helps concentration, stimulates associative thinking, helps overcome drowsiness and improves mood.
Some researchers suggest that people who drink coffee regularly feel safe, do not suffer from low self-esteem and do not experience unreasonable fears. It is important to bear in mind that coffee helps to concentrate in the human body the hormone called serotonin that is responsible for the feeling of happiness.
Advantages and disadvantages of coffee
Advantage:
Coffee increases your physical performance. Take a cup of black coffee before training and your performance will improve, since caffeine increases the levels of adrenaline in your blood.
It helps to lose weight. Due to its high content of magnesium and potassium, it helps the human body to use insulin, regulate blood sugar levels and reduce the desire for sweets and sugary snacks.
Coffee helps burn fat. Caffeine helps fat cells break down body fat and use it as fuel for training.
Help concentration, it keeps you alert.
Reduces the risk of premature death. Studies have shown that the overall risk of premature death of the coffee drinker is 25% lower than that of those who do not drink coffee.
It reduces the risk of cancers. A study has shown that caffeine can prevent the development of carcinomas and other types of cancers.
Studies have shown that regular coffee consumption decreases the risk of Parkinson's disease.
Coffee protects your body, since it contains many antioxidants, which work as little warriors that fight and protect against free radicals inside your body.
It reduces the risk of type II diabetes, since caffeine decreases insulin sensitivity and decreases glucose tolerance.
Protects the brain, because its high level of caffeine in the blood reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease and reduces the risk of dementia.
It fights depression and reduces the risk of suicide. Due to caffeine it stimulates the central nervous system and increases the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, which elevate your mood.
Disadvantages and risks of coffee consumption.
If you drink more than six cups of coffee a day, it can be toxic. You must also take care of the coffee you consume, because if it is of poor quality it can have many impurities, which can cause illness, headaches or general malaise.
If your coffee is made from grains that have been torn or ruined or your beans ruined, it can make your cup toxic.
If you drink about 20 liters of coffee in a minimum of time can be lethal, since they are about 12 grams of caffeine, approximate, within your body.
If you are not used to drinking coffee, it can cause insomnia and restlessness.
If you are pregnant, do not drink more than one cup a day.
Coffee in children can increase enuresis.
Coffee and socialize
The cafes were, and still are, places where people gather to talk, write, read, entertain or pass the time.
When we drink a cup of coffee together we create a connection within the group. By providing a space for regular, but unplanned, interaction with community members, cafeterias can play a role in the creation of social networks and, therefore, encourage the values of the community.
Coffee shops, as meeting places, help facilitate the dissemination of information. This happens informally, as a result of socialization and, in some cases, through the availability of bulletin boards.
In many countries, the social aspects of coffee have evolved to include it in the home, where people will receive coffee mornings so that friends and family can meet and talk.
