Across the world, many adult persons, even teen aged boys or girls after getting up from the bed in the morning, would like to have a cup of tea or coffee. This practice has been going on since the day of discovery of tea and coffee. Whether tea and coffee are good for health or not is a debate. I will not go into it but I have observed across India or abroad many like either of these beverages. And one thing is clear: tea, coffee, and cacao plants contain caffeine. It works by stimulating the brain and central nervous system and helps a person to stay alert and prevent the onset of tiredness (healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-caffeine).
According to historical records, “Coffee is originally from Ethiopia, and its discovery in Africa comes with an interesting story. Around the 700s AD, a herd of goats started acting strangely, almost as if they were dancing. Their owner, Kaldi, discovered that they were eating a sort of red bean and concluded that was the cause of their behavior. Kaldi decided to share his findings with a monk who required something that could help him to stay awake all night as he prayed; but another story claims that the monk refused and threw the beans into the fire and the pleasing aroma that came from it was just wonderful” (nationaltoday.com/international-coffee-day)
To promote and popularise coffee, the International Coffee Organization (ICO), was established in London in 1963 under the auspices of the United Nations consisting of 43 exporting members and 6 importing members (as of November 2019). In March 2014, the member countries of the ICO agreed to organise International Coffee Day on 1 October to create a single day of celebration for coffee lovers of the world. It is pertinent to mention that the International Coffee Organization (ICO) is the main intergovernmental organization for coffee, bringing together exporting and importing governments to tackle the challenges facing the world coffee sector through international cooperation. Now I wish to highlight a few facts about coffee from different secondary sources.
It is found from the website, goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a30303/facts-about-coffee, “i) there are two main types of coffee - Arabica and Robusta. The growers predominantly plant the Arabica species. Although less popular, Robusta tastes slightly more bitter and contains more caffeine, ii) multiple people have tried to ban coffee: In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed it stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. Some 16th-century Italian clergymen also tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be "satanic." However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600. Even in the eighteenth century, the Swedish government made both coffee and coffee paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment”.
As per, healthline.com/nutrition/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee, there are 13 Health Benefits of Coffee, based on science. These are:
1)Coffee can help people feel less tired and increase energy levels
2)Several studies show that caffeine can increase fat burning and boost a person’s metabolic rate.
3)Caffeine can increase adrenaline levels and release fatty acids from a person's fat tissues. It also leads to significant improvements in physical performance.
4)Coffee contains several important nutrients, including riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin.
5)Several observational studies reveal that those coffee takers have a much lower risk of type 2 diabetes that affects millions of people worldwide.
6)Regular coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease, which is a leading cause of dementia worldwide.
7)Coffee takers have up to a 60 percent lower risk of getting Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder.
8)Coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of cirrhosis, which can be caused by several diseases that affect the liver.
9)Coffee helps to lower risk of developing depression and may dramatically reduce suicide risk.
10)Liver and colorectal cancers are the third and fourth leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Coffee takers have a lower risk of both.
11)Coffee may cause mild increases in blood pressure, which usually diminish over time. Coffee drinkers do not have an increased risk of heart disease and have a slightly lower risk of stroke.
12)Several studies reveal that coffee drinkers live longer and have a lower risk of premature death.
13)Coffee is rich in powerful antioxidants, and many people get more antioxidants from coffee than from fruits and veggies combined.
From the above discussion, it is clear that one should not be afraid of coffee, so enjoy coffee but ‘too much of everything is bad’.
Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad, 1 October 2021
Comments