The strong aroma of filter coffee fills most of the South Indian households every morning and is a wake up call for all.I was about 12 years when I first tasted coffee and it has remained my favorite drink since then.The story of coffee is a very fascinating one. Way back in the 17th century Baba Buden travelled to Mecca on a pilgrimage and for the first ever time tasted coffee. He loved the aroma and taste so much that he wanted to get it to India. However in those days coffee was regulated by the Arabs and no one else could grow it. And Baba Buden wanted it so much that he somehow managed to get 7 coffee beans from there to Chickmangalur, Karnataka. Fortunately the coffee beans grew to coffee trees and today we have a hill named Baba Buden giri which gives the best coffee beans in India. The journey of coffee thus began in South India.
Coffee was first discovered by Ethopian Shepherds when they found that their goats ate coffee beans and got hyper.It came to be used as energy balls by the African tribes who believed coffee boosted their energy levels.In 1930’s during the Great Depression it became very difficult for common families to afford coffee beans and they started mixing an ingredient called Chicory.Chicory is obtained from the roots of the plant. This plant has medicinal value like
- used for loss of appetite
- upset stomach
- constipation
- liver
- gallbladder disorders
- cancer
- rapid heartbeat
- Chicory has beta Carotene
Coffee after going through this long journey sometimes is seen as bad. The caffeine in coffee helps inbinding to adenosine receptors which in turn triggers to produce the ‘fight or flight’ hormone adrenalin which helps in running our system with energy.
Coffee also has additional benefits like
- Coffee can fight depression and make you happier
- Coffee can energize you and make you smarter
- Coffee can help you burn fat
- Coffee can improve physical performance
- Coffee has essential nutrients like Riboflavin (VitaminB2),Pantothenic Acid(VitaminB5),Manganese and Potassium,Magnesium and Niacin (B3)
- Coffee is known to protect the liver
- Coffee reduces the risk of Colorectal and Liver cancer
- Coffee lowers the risk of stroke.
What are you waiting for grab your favorite cup of coffee!! Again anything good cannot be over eaten. Hence Moderation is the right word in the world of food. So drink a cup of coffee a day and gain all its health benefits.
As the famous saying goes’ A cup of coffee with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent’
Enjoy your cuppa coffee!