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Consumption of coffee began in Africa in either the 6th or 9th century, AD. Earliest accounts name Abyssinians, Arabians and Ethiopians as the first coffee drinkers and cultivators. Around the 16th century, traders brought the exotic new beverage to Europe, starting with Italy, where the resulting coffee houses held reputations for vice and corruption.
Later, coffee traveled to France in 1644 when it arrived in Marseilles from Egypt. England, Holland and Germany began consumption in the 16th and 17th centuries, and coffee made its way to North America in the latter part of the 17th century. Coffee houses in England experienced similar reputations to those in Italy and their exclusion of women seems to have intensified resentment toward the beverage. Cultivation of coffee beans now occurs in Latin America, eastern Africa, Arabia, and Asia with Brazil leading the industry. -
People now consume coffee in a variety of forms. The most common form in North America is brewed coffee, for which people use automatic coffee makers to serve coffee in their homes and offices. This method is the least expensive way to drink coffee. The machine boils the water and runs it through a filter of ground coffee, creating a hot, aromatic beverage. Many people serve coffee with cream and sweetener, but some pride themselves on drinking the coffee "black."
Espresso drinks have risen in popularity in the US over the past few decades as coffee houses like Starbucks and Dietrich's have grown. An espresso machine runs very hot but not boiling water through finely ground espresso beans, producing a small, highly concentrated coffee beverage. Some people drink the espresso in this direct form, a quick shot of caffeine and burst of flavor. Others prefer combination drinks like cappuccinos and lattes that mix the espresso with varying amounts of steamed milk, foam, water, and/or flavored syrups.
Another method involves the use of a coffee press, which briefly boils the water in the same container as the coffee grounds, and then uses the press to separate the water from the beans. This method leaves more of the coffee's natural oils intact.
Instant coffee consists of freeze-dried granules or soluble powder. The consumer just adds hot water for convenience on the run. -
Although historically believed to be soothing for the stomach and helpful as a sleep deterrent, coffee has often suffered attacks by the health conscious. Most people today drink coffee for the wakefulness, flavors, and culture it provides. Because of the natural stimulant in the caffeine, some people do enjoy improved alertness, concentration, and physical performance when consuming coffee.
In addition, recent studies show that coffee might help to protect againstgallstone disease, kidney stones, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and cirrhosis of the liver. -
The dangers of drinking coffee are not as severe as many people previously believed, but some negative side effects do occur. Evidence shows that coffee is a mild diuretic and causes heartburn. It does also cause a mild physical dependence in some people. For these people, immediate cessation of consumption might result in headaches, irritability, and other mild symptoms for a period of a few days. High levels of coffee drinking might increase a woman's chance for miscarriage, so the March of Dimes recommends reducing coffee consumption to no more than 200 mg or two cups a day for pregnant women.
Overconsumption of coffee can increase the heart rate and blood pressure in some people. Long-term elevated BP and HR are both contributing factors to chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and adrenal exhaustion. -
While nightclubs and bars still may offer coffee to inebriated customers, coffee does not actually counteract the effects of alcohol. It can increase alertness, which might cause a person to feel more sober than he actually is, but his motor functions and reaction times remain impaired by the alcohol.
Some dieters believe that coffee aids in weight loss. Coffee's ability to increase metabolic rate to burn more calories may assist in a small way to weight loss, but not in a significant amount. The weight loss due to its diuretic qualities is only a temporary loss of water weight.
While coffee is a mild diuretic, it does not cause dehydration in isolation of other factors. The water consumed in the coffee beverage replaces that lost in urination.
No significant evidence shows that coffee hinders a woman's ability to conceive a child. The correlation between coffee consumption and early miscarriage seems more likely to be related to low levels of pregnancy hormones. The surge of hormones early in pregnancy usually causes women to experience nausea and aversion to strong smells and flavors, a side effect that deters coffee drinking. Thus, women with low hormone levels are more likely to keep drinking coffee, but the coffee is not the cause of the miscarriage. Instead, the low hormone levels indicate other troubles.
Comments
banquetmanager said
on 1/13/2009 Coffee's great. I especially love Jackie Mason's view of it. Read about it here:
http://soyouwanttobeabanquetmanager.blogspot.com/2008/06/comedian-jackie-masons-take-on.html