Coffee is the daily choice of beverage for many Americans. More than 50 percent of adults admit that they need at least one Coffee maker cup to help get them through the day, according to the International Coffee Organization (ICO). But why do we drink it? Is it flavor – just flavor? Can coffee actually be healthful? Critics say, “It depends.” But let’s examine the basic health benefits, the ones everyone can agree on, to drinking coffee.
It is good to know what coffee is first. So let’s start with understanding what we’re investigating. Coffee is a brew of two ingredients: coffee grounds and water. (The water is not of concern to us here). Coffee grounds come from beans which are actually seeds (which may be roasted or un-roasted) from coffee cherry fruit! These cherry fruits grow on trees in over 70 countries which are mostly located in Latin America, SE Asia or Africa.
But most coffee drinkers give little thought to where their coffee grounds come from, let alone that it is a seed! Above all else (and sometimes it is the “only else”) they as consumers adjudge their coffee by its flavor. Is this too smokey, bitter or sweet? But then again, these Coffee maker cup consumers are usually not the ones doing the research. So they stick to their preferences until they hear a scientific study which says, “that one’s better for your health.” Then, maybe just then, they will consider trying a different variety coffee bean.
The caffeine naturally occurring in the coffee bean is more than flavor the reason drinkers keep coming back. Caffeine gives your body the “green light,” the go-ahead, to wake up, get moving. Your speech, once mumbled and slurred in early morning grogginess, gently washes down with each sip. Your eyelids spread from slits to expose two whole eyeballs, and you feel human – no more fighting with yourself to crawl back in bed for just ten more minutes. (Coffee beans can be de-caffeinated, but are less common in average consumption.)
Studies have proven caffeine to be addictive. But if you drink at least one Coffee maker cup per day (or smoke cigarettes which are a no-no, for that matter), you know that to be a no-brainer. The adage, “What brings you up, lets you down,” comes to mind. But with this beverage, that may not be so bad. Because caffeine improves your brain function and memory and digestion, you notice when it is no longer doing its thing. (Your appetite for food works the same way. You feel hungry when your stomach is empty.) So you refill. But unlike drugs (which are bad for you or medications which can become bad for you) coffee does not cause your body to become resistant so that you need greater and greater amounts to function at your peak. Whatever you decide is right – whether it may be one Coffee maker cup or three – is where your body will thirst for optimum energy.
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