Coffee

A few weeks ago I watched a South Korean drama with the name "The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince".


I was deeply impressed with those various fragrant coffee after watching this drama. I do dream


of being an excellent barista one day because I think a cup of fragrant coffee will bring people with


energy and hope. Most of us drink coffee everyday, but few of us know much about coffee itself.




Coffee is a widely consumed stimulant beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly


called beans, of the coffee plant. Coffee was first consumed in the 9th century, when it was


discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia. From there, it spread to Egypt and Yemen, and


by the 15th century had reached Persia, Turkey, and northern Africa. From the Muslim world,


coffee spread to Italy, then to the rest of Europe and the Americas. Today, coffee is one of


the most popular beverages worldwide.

Today, I'd like to say someting about the relationship between coffee and health.

Scientific studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and an array


of medical conditions. Most studies are contradictory as to whether coffee has any specific


health benefits, and results are similarly conflicting regarding negative effects of coffee


consumption.

Coffee appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, heart


disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, cirrhosis of the liver, and gout. Some health effects are


due to the caffeine content of coffee, as the benefits are only observed in those who drink


caffeinated coffee, while others appear to be due to other components. For example, the


antioxidants in coffee prevent free radicals from causing cell damage.

Coffee's negative health effects are mostly due to its caffeine content. Research suggests


that drinking caffeinated coffee can cause a temporary increase in the stiffening of arterial


walls. Excess coffee consumption may lead to a magnesium deficiency or hypomagnesaemia,


and may be a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Some studies suggest that it may have


a mixed effect on short-term memory, by improving it when the information to be recalled is


related to the current train of thought, but making it more difficult to recall unrelated information.


Nevertheless, the mainstream view of medical experts is that drinking three 8-ounce


(236 ml) cups of coffee per day (considered average or moderate consumption) does not


have significant health risks for adults.