In world trade, in terms of the volume of purchase and sale transactions, coffee is second only to oil, ranking second. One tree brings no more than five kilograms of fruit, from which one kilogram of grains is obtained. The high cost of coffee is associated with the capriciousness and infertility of trees, but the drink does not lose popularity.
The use of coffee
Coffee tones, invigorates, improves concentration due to the caffeine and theanine contained in it. Caffeine stimulates the uptake of micronutrients, including glucose, by neurons. And theanine increases the production of the hormone dopamine, which makes us feel happy.
Coffee also contains two dozen amino acids, vitamins: PP, B1, B2, minerals: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, iron. Coffee speeds up your heart rate and gives you energy, which can be helpful for people with low blood pressure or a slow heart rate.
Chlorogenic and ferulic acids in coffee help fight depression. These antioxidants prevent the oxidation and destruction of nerve cells, and also reduce the sensitivity of neurons to impulses, which reduces the severity of apathy and depression.
Regular consumption of small doses of coffee reduces the risk of diabetes. At the same time, in diabetics, when taking coffee, sensitivity to insulin increases, which lowers blood sugar.
Coffee has a slight laxative effect, as well as a diuretic. With severe swelling and water retention in the body, coffee can help to remove it.
In ground form, coffee is used in cosmetology, adding to scrubs to cleanse the skin of particles of the stratum corneum. Coffee improves blood flow to the skin, normalizes the secretion of sebum. And strongly brewed coffee is used as a hair mask, giving a chocolate shade and healthy shine.
Harm coffee
Infrequent use of weak coffee for a person without diseases usually does not harm. However, frequent drinking of a coffee drink (up to 5 cups a day) leads to brittle bones and increases the risk of fractures. Coffee acidifies the body and to restore the pH balance, the body begins to take calcium from the bones. Excessiveness also leads to headaches, insomnia, high blood pressure and excessive heart rate.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should drink as little coffee as possible, as the baby excretes caffeine much more slowly and its high levels can lead to malformations. Coffee is also unhealthy for children because of the risk of calcium leaching.
Caffeine can be addictive just like a real drug. It affects the same areas of the brain as heroin or cocaine, although much weaker. For professional athletes, coffee is regarded as doping.
The most harmful is instant coffee because of the production technology. During the heat treatment, acrylamide toxin is formed. Whole grains, after passing through all the stages and turning into powder, lose their aroma, a lot of useful substances, and the concentration of caffeine decreases. Therefore, flavors and oils are often additionally added to it.
— Coffee is not a healthy food. It is contraindicated in people with diseases of the heart and blood vessels, bones and joints, inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Due to the strong diuretic effect, dehydration may occur. The lack of water in the nuclei of the intervertebral discs exacerbates hernia and protrusion of the spine. In young people without diseases, coffee can improve mood, stimulate brain activity and increase intestinal motility. It is better to drink coffee in the afternoon, and not early in the morning or in the evening, and immediately drink a large glass of water, advises Gastroenterologist Irina Warsawskaya.
How to choose and store coffee
Coffee is sold in the form of beans or already ground, as well as instant: granulated, freeze-dried, depending on the type of processing.
Most firms that sell packaged coffee or loose coffee are resellers, not manufacturers. All information about the origin of the grains must be studied on the packaging – the more detailed the content, the more conscientious the seller.
The composition should not contain flavors, dyes and other additives, only grains. The strength and bitterness depends on the variety. If Robusta is indicated, the drink will be bitter and saturated with caffeine, if Arabica is softer and more aromatic, but it contains less caffeine. Usually producers mix Robusta and Arabica.
The aroma is best preserved in airtight packaging, so coffee by weight is usually less aromatic. In coffee beans, it is stored for about a year in a dark glass or ceramic jar, in a dry and cool place, but not in the refrigerator. The aroma of ground beans quickly disappears, so the shelf life of such coffee is shorter. If the coffee is “out of breath”, you can grind it even finer or add more to the drink.