Coffee and Beyond …
Who would have thought that these red gorgeous berries could turn into a drink almost everyone in the world would love? Just a little bit of processing and, yes, coffee! There is no doubt that the aroma of roasted coffee beans wafting in your senses creates an energizing feeling. More so when you sip on a warm or cold, whichever makes you happy, a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Add some cream, sugar, or cinnamon to enhance its taste, or CBD oil if you want to add more benefits to your drink, and sure enough, you’re ready to start your day!
Coffee and Beyond
Legend has it that the first records mentioning coffee date back to 850 CE in Ethiopia and Yemen. Odd as it may seem, the story mentions a farmer noticing his goats being energised after consuming coffee berries and don’t want to sleep at night.
Other annotations about coffee were mentioned during the 15th century when the consumption of coffee started spreading and eventually reaching all sides of the world.
In our modern time, coffee has indeed come a long way. From just plainly being roasted and brewed in one pot, we now have fancy brewing machines, espresso machines, and don’t forget the now long list of coffee drink varieties and flavours. Aside from being used as a drink, we have come up with delightful desserts infused with coffee; there are coffee-flavoured cakes, pudding, bread, brownies and ice cream! The list can go on and on, which only proves how flexible coffee can be. But it doesn’t stop there! Aside from its satisfying taste, coffee also has many health benefits. Here are some:
- It can improve your energy level. Due to its caffeine content, coffee energizes the body by stimulating our central nervous system (CNS). After drinking coffee, the norepinephrine levels in the brain increase, which affects the blood pressure and helps increase blood sugar levels which provides energy to the body. Also, it helps you stay awake, attentive, and focused. On the other hand, dopamine levels increase, too. It plays an essential role in our mood and motivation.
- Coffee burns fats! Yes, you read it right. The caffeine content of coffee boosts our metabolic rate by 3 to 11%. It sends signals to our brain, which are then interpreted by our fat cells breaking fats much faster. Studies also suggest that it can increase fat burning by as much as 29% in lean individuals. Although this effect diminishes after long-term consumption, it still helps cut back your calorie intake by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less.
- It improves your physical performance. Coffee not only increases the dopamine and norepinephrine levels in your brain but also increases the release of epinephrine. This chemical is responsible for the fight or flight response of the body. Also, due to caffeine’s ability to burn fats, it helps improve your stamina, making you prepare for strenuous activities like exercising.
- There are more nutrients than you think. Coffee is packed with various nutrients, such as riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and niacin. Furthermore, it is also known for having antioxidants called polyphenols and hydroxycinnamic acids, which are beneficial in getting rid of free radicals and stress, including heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Coffee is considered to be the biggest source of antioxidants in our diet.
- Coffee makes you smarter. The cognitive benefit of coffee is not a myth. According to many clinical trials, the caffeine in coffee improves our memory, ability to focus, mood, reaction time and general cognitive function. While coffee cannot directly make you a more logical and critical thinker, its contribution to intelligence relates to the ability to gain and process information by changing your state of mind and making you alert.
- It may lower the risk of having Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. According to a study, caffeine has the ability to protect the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by binding to tight junction proteins, which maintain the internal, physical and chemical balance in the brain. It is said that any disruption to the BBB contributes to the risk of having neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
- Coffee provides benefits to your liver. Multiple studies suggest that coffee can reduce the risk of having liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, fatty liver disease and hepatitis C. This is due to paraxanthine which is made when caffeine is broken down and digested. Paraxanthine has the ability to suppress the connective tissue growth factor, which slows down the progression of the said liver conditions.
Make Your Coffee Extra!
With the abundance of coffee shops everywhere, the then simple cup of coffee has come down to a lot of tweaking by adventurous coffee fanatics, which resulted in enhanced and amazing kinds of coffee-based drinks. If you want to give your mug of coffee a different take, here are some additives that you can use to take your coffee experience to another level.
- CBD oil. Did you know that you can also add this amazing hemp extract to your dishes, salads, and drinks like coffee? Yes, you can! While a lot of people use CBD oil sublingually, it also comes in other forms, such as CBD capsules, CBD vapes and balms. But many CBD fanatics add сannabidiol (CBD) to their coffee to help them with the management of pain, anxiety, sleep, inflammation and to boost their focus in the morning.
- Cinnamon. Known for its aromatic scent, many use cinnamon in their baked goods, dishes and drinks. Adding cinnamon to your mug of coffee adds more health benefits like lowering blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides.
- Coconut oil. Adding this jack of all trades oil into your coffee can offer an energy boost. While caffeine boosts your energy by stimulating the brain, the medium-chain triacylglycerols (MTCs) in coconut oil work differently. These good fatty acids are absorbed faster in the liver, making them available for your body to use as energy. They also boost the number of calories you burn.
Truly, coffee plays a big role in our lives. Whether you prefer to drink it in the morning or in the afternoon during breaks, there is no doubt that it can get us through our busy and tiring day. Keep in mind that anything too much can cause unpleasant effects. That is why it is important to be mindful of your daily coffee consumption. According to studies, drinking four eight-ounce (240 ml) cups of coffee is safe for most healthy adults.
Coffee and beyond is a feature post
