Coffee Chronicles

The Origin of Coffee

 It is uncertain how coffee was first discovered, but the most popular tale is that of an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi. The story states that one day, Kaldis goats ate a berry off of a certain tree and became so energized that they could not sleep. Afterwards, Kaldi notified a monastery, resulting in a drink being made with the berries. The abbot stated that the drink kept him awake for several hours of prayer. By word of mouth, the berries and their properties spread across the Arabian Peninsula, and eventually, across the world. The rest is history. 

 What Is Coffee? 

Now that we’ve briefly covered the discovery of coffee, let’s look into what it is, and why it is such an important part of over 1 billion people’s days. 

 Coffee is a beverage that is a product of brewing ground and roasted coffee beans. The beans themselves are the pit of the berries a coffee tree. For first timers, coffee will be an interesting experience, as the taste is something you either love or hate. However, once you get past this, there are many benefits to consuming it, other than the caffeine.

 Benefits of the Brew

• Caffeine can increase your metabolic rate by up to 11%, aiding your ability to burn fat. 

• Coffee contains nutrients such as Vitamin B2, B3, B5, as well as Manganese and Potassium. 

 • Can lower your risk for Type 2 Diabetes by 23%-50%. 

• May lower your risk for certain types of Cancers, strokes, and even Parkinson’s. 

• Studies indicate coffee may increase life expectancy, part of this being attributed to the fact that coffee is the largest source of antioxidants in the regular western diet. 

But like most cases, too much of a good thing can often be a bad thing, and coffee is no exception. Next, we will discuss the downsides to excess consumption. 

Coffee Cons 

• Possible increase of an individual’s blood pressure. 

• Headaches, dizziness, insomnia, nausea. 

• Can cause muscle tremors, as well as abnormal heart rhythms. 

• Can result in dehydration. 

• If you consumed 23 liters, or 100 cups in a short time frame, you will die (which would be very unfortunate, but impressive).

Other Uses

- Coffee is also used across the world as a popular fertilizer. Once your coffee beans are spent, one can save these beans and use them to grow their garden. This allows for the soil to be "aerated," and further can attract good living organisms.

- You can also use coffee as an exfoliant and face scrub. Coffee grounds are a great tool to use as a skin product and allow for a smoother and healthier epidermis. 

- Coffee can be used as a pallette cleanser, allowing one to open up their tastebuds and nose sensitivity after enjoying a consumable. This also extends to a smell neutralizer!

- Coffee is also a good hair dye, cleaning tool and more!

Coffee is a versatile and delicious product, much more than a simple beverage, that all can enjoy!