Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark, slightly acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa. Green (unroasted) coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Coffee can have a stimulating effect on humans due to its caffeine content. It is one of the most-consumed beverages in the world.
Coffee has played a crucial role in many societies. The energizing effect of the coffee bean plant is thought to have been discovered in the northeast region of Ethiopia, and the cultivation of coffee first expanded in the Arab world. The earliest credible evidence of coffee drinking appears in the middle of the 15th century, in the Sufi shrines of Yemen in southern Arabia. From the Muslim world, coffee spread to India, Italy, then to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia, and to the Americas. In East Africa and Yemen, it was used in religious ceremonies. As a result, the Ethiopian Church banned its secular consumption, a ban in effect until the reign of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia. It was banned in Ottoman Turkey during the 17th century for political reasons, and was associated with rebellious political activities in Europe.
An important export commodity, coffee was the top agricultural export for twelve countries in 2004,
and it was the world's seventh-largest legal agricultural export by value in 2005. Some controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment. Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and certain health conditions; whether the overall effects of coffee are ultimately positive or negative has been widely disputed. The method of brewing coffee has been found to be important to its health effects.
Coffee and Fertility
Women who are pregnant or attempting to get pregnant should avoid excess caffeine consumption, which may increase the risk for a variety of fertility problems. Research into caffeine's effects on fertility has yielded mixed results, though a recent study found that the risk of miscarriage doubled with the consumption of 2 or more cups of coffee per day, and others have linked high caffeine consumption with reduced fertility. Numerous studies have also found caffeine consumption by pregnant women to be associated with low birth weight. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant women consume no more than 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day.
Coffee and Anxiety Symptoms
Caffeine can overstimulate the central nervous system. This not only causes anxiety in susceptible individuals, but can also exhaust the adrenal glands over time, decreasing resistance to stress and thus increasing vulnerability to disease pathogens and other health hazards.
Coffee and Osteoporosis
Because excess coffee consumption may prevent the full absorption of necessary minerals, it increases the risk of developing osteoporosis. A study of nearly 1,000 postmenopausal women found that long-term consumption of 2 or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day was associated with decreased bone density, regardless of age, alcohol and tobacco consumption, hormone use, and other factors. However, there are indications that these negative effects can be mitigated by adding milk.
Coffee Addiction
People who quit coffee often experience withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue, headache, decreased energy and alertness, difficulty concentrating, and even irritability and depression. These symptoms usually begin within 12-24 hours of quitting caffeine and hit a peak within 20-51 hours. Overall, symptoms tend to last anywhere from 2-9 days.
Coffee and Stretch Marks
Dry skin is more prone to developing stretch marks. Coffee consumption increases the risk of stretch marks because it has a dehydrating effect.
Coffee and Weight Gain
Caffeine increases the risk of long-term weight gain by increasing stress hormones and creating a greater risk for hypoglycemia, which stimulates appetite. Although caffeine can assist with short-term weight loss, in the longer term, heavy consumption is more likely to lead to weight gain. Also, studies have indicated that green tea is better for maintaining a healthy weight than coffee.
Should You Drink Coffee?
People with any of the following conditions should avoid coffee altogether:
- Bladder or kidney problems
- Bowel problems such as colitis and diverticulitis
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Diabetes
- Fibrocystic breast disease
- Generalized anxiety and/or panic attacks
- Heart problems
- Hiatal hernia
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Hypoglycemia
- Indigestion
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Liver disease
- Menopause
- Osteoporosis or family history of osteoporosis
- PMS
- Prostate problems
- Skin irritations
- Ulcers
- Urinary tract irritation
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