O coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the whole planet and it is produced from coffee beans, the seed of the fruit of the coffee tree. The coffee tree is a Ethiopian native species that spread throughout the world. There are different species of coffee, which are part of the botanical family Rubiaceae and of the genre Coffee. Economically, the most important type of coffee is the Arabica coffee, which accounts for 70% of world production. Currently, Brazil stands out as the largest producer and exporter of coffee in the world.
Read too: Coffee roots in Brazil
Botanical characteristics of Arabica coffee
Arabica coffee (Arabica coffee)and the most traded and consumed species of coffee. It is responsible for a coffee with aroma and flavor more appreciated than that produced by other species. Arabica coffee is a Bushgreat, belonging to the family Rubiaceae, which can reach about four meters in height and presents sheets dark green.
At sheets they are oval or sub-lanceolate in shape, and the edges are wavy. You
fruits of the coffee are oval, have a red or yellow color and usually have two seeds flattened. These seeds are the famous coffee beans, used in the production of the beverage called coffee. A curiosity about the species is that the Arabica coffeeit is the only one of the genus that is tetraploid, that is, it has four chromosomal sets.
the use of coffee
Coffee beans are mainly used for produce a drink through infusion their. A very famous legend says that coffee consumption started after Pastor Kaldi observed that his goats they were agitated when eating fruit from a particular bush, which would be the coffee tree. He then tasted these fruits and felt more attentive and willing. The benefit of consuming the fruits soon spread in the community, and different forms of consumption suggest, such as putting the fruits in Water hot—then came the famous coffee.
The coffee tree, however, is not only used for coffee production. Among other applications, we can mention the production of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fertilizers, and even its use as biomass for power generation.
Beneficial effects of coffee on the human body
The best known coffee effect is, without a doubt, the stimulating, achieved thanks to the presence of caffeine, a substance that improves alertness, ability to concentrate, energy and performance in simple activities.
If consumed in small amounts, caffeine does not cause health risks, but consumption in high doses can generate symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, anxiety, tachycardia and palpitation. Some people, however, are sensitive to caffeine, so even small doses can produce unpleasant symptoms.
In addition to caffeine, coffee has other biologically active substances, which cause a series of benefits in Human Body. Today, several benefits of coffee are known, with studies linking its consumption to serious disease prevention, like some types of cancer. Coffee consumption is also associated with a reduction in the incidence of Parkinson's disease.
Studies also point to a neuroprotective role of coffee in relation to the development of the disease of Alzheimer's. Many works also describe an association of coffee consumption with reduced risk of suicide. the coffee too induces weight loss due to increased thermogenesis, caffeine being the compound that appears to be responsible for this effect.
Coffee consumption is also beneficial to the liver, presenting a protective role with regard to the development of cirrhosis. Coffee consumption is also associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes type II.
Coffee consumption should be done moderately, and in in some cases it is not recommended. Coffee, for example, reduces iron absorption, and this inhibitory action is relevant when we talk about people anemic or who are iron deficient. Coffee, as it stimulates acid and pepsin secretion in the stomach, is also not recommended for people who have gastritis or ulcer.
For people of advanced age, it is recommended that coffee consumption be moderate and that the vitamin D and calcium consumption, as some studies link caffeine with reduced bone mass.
Read too: Risks of excessive coffee consumption
World Coffee Day
Coffee is a beverage enjoyed around the world and has a number of benefits. No wonder the drink has a day to itself. In fact, you will find three different dates that refer to coffee. O World Coffee Day is celebrated on April 14th, already the National Coffee Day is celebrated on May 24th. Finally, we have the International Coffee Day, celebrated on October 1st.
By Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos
Biology teacher
