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Useful properties and uses of the coffee tree
Description of the coffee tree
A coffee tree is an evergreen tree, small, reaching a height of 6 m, but cultivated species are slightly lower. This tree has dark green leaves, wavy along the edges, have an elongated shape, the length of which is 20 cm. Its flowers are snow-white in color, located in the axillary part of the leaf, they have a very pleasant, sweet smell. And the fruits of the tree look like berries – they are also called coffee berries, at the beginning they are green, and then turn red and acquire a purple hue.
Ethiopia is the birthplace of the coffee tree. But today it is grown in various areas of the tropics. Since ancient times, the fruits are collected exclusively by hand. This process is quite laborious – first, the branches are combed with a special device resembling a comb, and then plucked one berry at a time.
The speed of their maturation, synchrony as a whole depends only on the temperature regime. Brazilians usually harvest from May to early autumn. Whether there are water bodies near the plantations depends on the method by which the grains will be processed. There are two methods – “dry” and “wet”. The most profitable is the second method – the fruits are soaked in barrels for 12 hours, and then sent to a special automatic cleaning.
After wet processing, the grains are dried for 10 days under open sunlight, or placed under hot air for a day. Then the shell is removed from the grains and sorted by size. However, green beans do not have any flavor and are roasted to form caffeol oil.
Useful properties of the coffee tree
The coffee tree contains a very active substance – caffeine. It is found in coffee seeds, has a stimulating effect on the cardiovascular system and central nervous system. Caffeine has found wide application in the field of medicine, it is used there as an stimulant not only for heart failure, but also for poisoning, for example, by drugs. This substance is added to many medicines. The caffeine charcoal contains directly caffeine, a number of vitamins, and many other elements.
Many great people loved to drink coffee. The famous writer Honore de Balzac worked mainly at night and preferred to drink this particular drink, but he lived very little – only half a century. The philosopher Voltaire also drank coffee in large quantities, but lived to be 83 years old. But Fontenelle, also a big coffee lover, became a long-liver who lived for 100 years.
Folk medicine has been using coffee for a very long time. And here the most important property of this substance was the exciting effect. It is used for heart and vascular diseases, taken for alcohol poisoning. In addition, coffee perfectly helps to cope with headaches, increase blood pressure, relieve stress and fatigue. Also, coffee will help with bad mood and depression. Since ancient times, coffee has been used to treat coughs and various inflammatory diseases.
Aromatic coffee is a storehouse of medicinal properties, it improves appetite, adds energy and strength, increases efficiency. Everyone will be able to choose a coffee drink to their liking, because there are a huge number of recipes, both pure coffee and with various additives.
Coffee is great for food poisoning. In these cases, you first need to do a gastric lavage, and then drink strong coffee. Such a drink is a complex of tannic elements, with the help of which the absorption of toxic substances into the body is prevented. In addition, coffee invigorates, and it will help with excessive use of sleeping pills, restore vitality, activate the brain.
Coffee has a strong healing effect, with its help, wounds heal faster. Damaged areas of the body must be washed with potassium permanganate, the concentration of which is 3%, and then sprinkled with ground coffee, previously roasted. Such a unique powder will allow the wound to dry out and it will heal faster.
Very often, coffee is used to create therapeutic diet drinks. With hypotension, regular consumption of coffee is necessary, as it tones the body. Coffee is one of the best helpers with sleepiness, it is able to activate physical and mental activity.
People have long understood that the coffee tree has many healing properties. Coffee charcoal is made from its grains, its action is very similar to activated charcoal.
Thus, it can be used for poisoning, with increased gas formation and bloating. Coffee tree grains are rich in various beneficial substances, such as caffeine, vitamin B1 and D, and minerals. In the treatment of fever, severe headaches, high levels of uric acid in the body and arthritis, an infusion of raw coffee beans will have an effective effect.
A coffee drink will tone up and invigorate, improve blood circulation, metabolic processes, and restore strength. But coffee is contraindicated in large quantities for people with a sick heart, easily excitable, suffering from sleep disturbance.
The use of the coffee tree
Traditional medicine has long appreciated the healing properties of coffee and used it in the treatment of severe headaches, in relieving tension and fatigue, in giving strength and vigor. In addition, coffee can help relieve coughing fits. At home, you can make a drink from coffee that will be not only tasty, but also healthy, it will make the heart work more efficiently, increase efficiency, and restore appetite.
Coffee charcoal is an excellent remedy for poisoning, with its help the gastrointestinal tract is cleansed, all toxins are neutralized. In addition, this tool will help with flatulence, and even quickly heal wounds and abrasions. The most basic active ingredient in a coffee drink is caffeine. It is he who determines all the medicinal properties of coffee. The most important effect of caffeine is the excitation of the functions of the central nervous system.
Drinking coffee increases reflex excitability, the efficiency of the heart and respiratory organs, blood pressure, and other effects occur. But, of course, such changes are not very visible, since coffee is taken in small quantities. And with an overdose, all the symptoms of arousal are already noticeable. Because of this, it is not recommended to drink coffee for excitable people, cores, ulcers. Excessive coffee consumption can be compared with the use of antidepressants in terms of consequences.
With asthenia, hypotension and overwork, a small amount of coffee perfectly tones the body. A couple of cups of this fragrant and healthy drink will remove the feeling of fatigue, a sleepy state, and activate thought processes.
There is one simple but very effective recipe. To get rid of a headache, you need to prepare an infusion of raw wood grains. To do this, pour a tablespoon of ground coffee beans with a glass of hot boiled water. Then place the resulting liquid in a dry, warm place and insist for an hour. And it is recommended to take such an infusion three times a day after eating 1/3 cup.
The fruit of the coffee tree
The fruits of the coffee tree are later coffee beans. After harvesting the fruits, they are dried for 20 days under the open sun, while it is necessary to separate the already dry pulp from the hard shell. Interestingly, the Ethiopians have used the fruit as chewing gum since ancient times. During the production of coffee in factories, the seeds are polished to remove their shell. And at home they can simply be fried in a pan until brown.
The stimulating effect of plant seeds has been known for a very long time. These grains contain fiber, nitrogen compounds, caffeine, sugar, fat and minerals. Due to caffeine, coffee very well tones the central nervous system. Even in the healthiest people, drinking too much coffee can lead to heart palpitations and disturbed sleep.
Raw grains can be used to make a drink. They must be fried in a cast iron pan, stirring constantly, while the fire should be very weak. After they turn brown, grind them in a coffee grinder. In the event that the grains were stored for a long period of time, they simply need to be dipped in water and dried over a fire.
Growing a coffee tree
Anyone can grow a coffee tree – their seedlings can be bought in botanical shops. But if you wish, you can get a seedling yourself, you just need to plant the grains in the ground. The most optimal soil for them is moist peat or leafy soil, but it should be warm enough. Fresh seeds are a guarantee that they will definitely germinate, they should be sown immediately after harvest. If after that they are also stored, then you can not get shoots at all. Seeds that have lain for a year are not completely subject to planting.
For sowing, the best will be fully ripened grain. All seeds that have defects, such as small size, floating in water, are immediately removed. The beans are only cleaned by hand to avoid any major damage. The optimal depth for sowing seeds is 1,5 cm in soil consisting of turf, sand and humus.
It is also necessary to pay special attention to top dressing. When planting, superphosphate is used – 10 grams of fertilizer is added to 200 liters of water. The temperature must be 20 °C. The first shoots appear in about a month. After the seedlings grow a little, they dive. It is necessary to irrigate abundantly and regularly. And plantings bloom in 3,5 years, but possibly earlier.
Caring for the coffee tree. The coffee tree is very unpretentious, but it is thermophilic and requires fresh air. It is better to install the tree in a bright place, and in winter you need to protect it from the cold, because all the leaves can fall off. In the summer, he prefers partial shade. Every spring, young trees are transplanted, and when they grow up, transplantation occurs less often – only once every two years.
Plants must be watered regularly, dry land is unacceptable. But the water must be necessarily settled, and at the same time at room temperature. Leaves should be cleaned of dust with a soft sponge. And from February to September, you need to feed the tree with fertilizers. You can buy them in all flower shops. And for annual top dressing, it is better to use humus, with its help the plant will begin to develop faster.
The coffee tree must be grown in moist air conditions. To do this, he needs to carry out water procedures, that is, more often spray from a spray bottle. If the ends of the leaves dry up, then the air is still a bit dry. In summer, the plant should be watered abundantly, and in winter – moderately, but the soil should always be moist. Water for irrigation – only at room temperature. In the heat, warm water should not be watered, as the plant can get sick, including the possibility of dark spots on the leaves.
In order for the cultivation of a coffee tree to be successful, it is necessary to create all the necessary conditions for it – an abundance of light, water, fertilizers. With a lack of all this, the tree may die, and all efforts will be in vain.
coffee tree leaves
The coffee tree has dark green leaves with a wavy edge. They are quite large, with a dense skin. But with a lack of water, dark brown spots may appear on them. To prevent such consequences, it is necessary to regularly spray the leaves with water. If the leaves on the tree turn yellow and fall off, then there is nothing to worry about, this is a natural process.
Often a situation may arise when the leaves of the coffee tree become brown in color. This mostly happens when the tree grows indoors with very low humidity during the autumn and winter months. But this phenomenon cannot be attributed to the disease. To create a more comfortable climate, it is better to place the plant in a pan with water.
Many people often wonder: is it necessary to form a crown near a coffee tree. There is no need for this. The crown of this tree already has the correct shape, resembling a Christmas tree. If suddenly there are long branches growing sideways, then they can simply be cut off. This will help the crown to be dense and form many buds.
Coffee tree contraindications
Excessive coffee consumption can adversely affect the cardiovascular system and central nervous system. Caffeine is strictly contraindicated for people who are easily excited, and those who suffer from sleep disturbance, heart palpitations, stomach ulcers and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
With large doses of a strong coffee drink, even healthy people can experience mild caffeine poisoning. Signs of acute poisoning are tinnitus or ringing in the ears, migraine, blurred consciousness, restlessness, and convulsions. Regular consumption of coffee in large quantities will eventually lead to increased levels of nervous excitability, insomnia and itchy skin.
Drinking coffee is contraindicated for several categories of people. It should not be drunk by those who suffer from atherosclerosis and hypertension. In addition, patients with glaucoma are prohibited from drinking this drink, as it increases intraocular pressure. it is also not recommended for small children to drink coffee. Older people should also give up coffee.
You shouldn’t drink coffee during pregnancy. During the feeding period, women should also not drink this drink, since there is a risk that the milk will disappear, and caffeine will have a negative impact on the health of the child.