Coffee is one of the most consumed and loved drink worldwide with around two billion cups consumed every day. Thanks to its high levels of antioxidants and beneficial nutrients because of which, it is considered to be quite flourishing. Going back in time, it is observed that coffee is not just a drink. It constitutes of a social interaction, and has been for a long time.
Missionaries, travelers, traders, colonists and who not continued to carry coffee seeds to newly discovered lands and therefore, coffee trees were planted worldwide. New nations were established on the economy created by coffee. By the end of the 18th century, coffee had become one of the world’s most popular and profitable crop for export. In North America and a lot of Western European countries, Starbucks and other chains have dominated the market for a long time because they are able to provide the customers with a complete experience of enhanced coffee flavor.
Coffee plays a very salient part in our lives. It can be said that it is almost inextricable from our everyday existence. Coffee and work, coffee and friends, coffee and snacks, coffee to go! In Italy, the invention of espresso and the espresso machine made it the favorite beverage of Italians. In Greece, there is an old fashioned coffee shop named “kafenio”, for old gentlemen, where they drink Greek coffee and exchange political ideas, play cards or play board games.
In some countries like Brazil and Columbia, the whole economy is based on coffee plantation. Coffee is consumed in such a great quantity that it is world’s second largest traded commodity which surpasses only by crude oil. Caffeine is our most beloved beverage after the universal solvent: water. It is worth over hundred billion dollars worldwide. In ancient Arabian culture, and apparently still in Saudi Arabia, coffee has such a reputation and seriousness among certain communities that women can allegedly find legal grounds for divorce, if her husband fails to bring her fresh cup of coffee in the morning.
The beans of the coffee are actually the pit of a berry, which makes them a fruit. They grow on a bush. There are two main types of beans: green and red. Red beans are less acidic and have a nicer smell. They are required to produce lighter coffees. The longer the coffee beans are roasted, the healthier they become. There are two types of coffee: Arabic and Robusta. Arabic and coffee was originally cultivated in the Arabian Peninsula and therefore the name. Robusta coffee is more like a hardy plant but, it contains double the amount of caffeine. Coffee provides a complex blend of different kinds of flavors, which together produces a huge range of sensory experiences. Flavor profiles and specific aroma are described by sensory experts, to differentiate different types of coffees and roasts.
Coffee aroma descriptions comprises of nutty, smoky, flowery and herby whereas taste descriptions include activity, bitterness, sweetness, sourness and saltiness. Coffee is world’s most adored beverage not only for its interesting tasting tones and involvement in our lives, but most significantly for its beneficial nutrients and enhancing capability of immunity power. Studies show that coffee drinkers face much lower risk of several serious diseases. For example:-
It can improve energy levels and reaction times. Coffee can help people feel less tired and can increase energy levels. That is because it contains a stimulant, called caffeine(the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world). After consuming coffee, the caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream. From there, it travels to the brain. In the brain, the caffeine blocks the inhibitory neurotransmitters like norepinephrine.
As a result, dopamine increases, leading to enhanced performance of the neurons. Many studies show that coffee improves various aspects of brain function – including mood, memory, energy levels, vigilance, general mental functions and reaction times. Coffee is beneficial for burning fat. Caffeine is found in almost every commercial fat- burning supplement and for good reason. It is one of the very few natural substances which is proven to aid fat burning.
According to studies, caffeine can boost metabolic rate by 3%-11%. It can also specifically increase fat burning as much as 10% in obese individuals and about 29% in lean people. Coffee can drastically improve physical performance. Caffeine stimulates nervous system, signaling the fat cells to break down body fat. It also results in the increase of the epinephrine levels in the body. This is fight or flight hormone, which prepares the body for any intense physical exertion.
By breaking the excess body fat, it makes free fatty acids available as fuel. Coffee also contains essential nutrients. Quite a number of nutrients in coffee beans make their way into the finished brewed coffee. It lowers the risk of type two diabetes. Studies observed that people who drunk many cups of coffee have 25%-50% lower risk of getting this disease. A study claimed to show showed a reduction as high as 67%.
Coffee acts as a shield against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Coffee drinkers have up to 65% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. It lowers the risk of Parkinson’s disease as studies shows that coffee drinkers have much lower risk of the above mentioned disease with a risk of reduction ranging from 32%-60%. Several common disease primarily affects the liver for example, hepatitis fatty liver and many others. Many of these conditions may lead to cirrhosis-in which liver is largely replaced by scar tissue. Interestingly, coffee may protect against cirrhosis- people who drink four or more cups of coffee per day have up to an 80% lower risk.
Coffee has an outstanding quality of fighting depression. Depression is a serious mental disorder that significantly causes reduced quality of life. In a Harvard study published in the year 2011, women who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had a 20% lower risk of suffering from depression among other diseases.
The beneficial nutrients present in coffee lowers the risk of certain types of cancer. Coffee is known to be protective against two very deadly types of cancer: liver and colorectal cancer. Studies show that coffee drinkers have up to a 40% lower risk of liver cancer. Coffee acts as a protective shield for heart disease and also lowers the risk of stroke. There are many evidences that coffee drinkers have a reduced risk of heart disease. Some studies show that coffee lovers have 20% less risk of stroke.
Coffee beans helps to increase the longevity of life. As coffee drinkers are less likely to get various sorts of diseases, it makes sense that coffee helps to increase the lifespan. In two very large studies, drinking coffee was associated with a 20% reduced risk of death in men and 26% decreased risk of mortality rate in women, over 18-24 years. This effect is visible strong, particularly in people with type two diabetes. In one twenty year study, individuals with diabetes who were coffee drinkers had 30% lower risk of death.
Coffee also serves as the biggest source of antioxidants in the Western Diet. For people who thrive on a standard western diet, coffee may be one of the healthiest aspects of their diet. That is because coffee is known to be quite the hit with antioxidants. Many coffee consumers get more antioxidants than from fruits and vegetables combined. One of the healthiest beverages on the planet, our drink is pretty much the all rounder ! You should not hesitate to pour themselves a cup of brewed coffee or more throughout the day, if you enjoy its taste and can tolerate its caffeine content. So many compelling facts about coffee and its rich history and a love of all things coffee has brought various small and large companies and industries into the game of coffee production and trading, making it a very modern product. Technology and improvements in coffee industry are two major factors which provide opportunities to a lot of companies to compete in the volatile environment of coffee trading.
Coffee culture is changing continuously as coffee drinkers are seeking new ways to relish their favorite beverage. Production, brewing, trading and distribution methods have evolved to meet these new requirements, but there are a lot of improvements yet to be made. Coffee research and development will need to be an ongoing activity as it has yet to meet the requirements of the upcoming generations of coffee lovers.
What makes for a truly enriching experience as a coffee lover is drinking finer coffee and knowing your beverage. The better your coffee the truer your experience. Try Storycoffee premium coffees at https://storycoffee.in/ made in Coorg from the finest blends of Arabica and Robusta in the nation.