Coffee

One of the most important commodities in trade, rivaling petroleum in terms of dollars traded, and also one of the tastiest drinks on the earth, coffee has made it's mark on our society. The discovery of coffee beans is largely unkown. It is spectulated that the seeds were originally exported from Ethiopia (the Kaffa region of Ethiopia being the origin area of the plant) to Yemen.

There are two known types of coffee appropiately titled: Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta. The main difference between the two is that robusta carries twice the caffeine and has a more bitter taste to it.

It's commonly known that coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant, and that the drink's helpful/hazardous properties are still in question.

Benefits

Mental Alertness: A study conducted in the Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam came to the conclusion that moderate amounts of caffeine, about two cups of coffee, can enhance the brain's ability to process information and weed out potential errors.

Reduction of Leg Pain During Exercise: The caffeine in coffee has been found to be effective in reducing leg soreness from exercising. Source: http://coffeescience.org/fitness

Reduction in Dry Mouth: People who suffer from xerostomia, or "dry mouth", can benefit from cappucino coffee. According to research, consuming a moderate amount of cappucino increases saliva production and the ability to speak (a problem commonly associated with xerostomia) while decreasing dry mouth.

Diabetes Prevention: High consumption of coffee leads to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Research has shown that caffeine prevents insulin resistance and glucose tolerance. The reason for this reduced risk is still unknown. Source: http://coffeescience.org/diabetes

Liver Cancer Prevention: A university group in Sendai, Japan discovered a relation between coffee-drinkers and a reduced risk of liver cancer. According to Professor Ichiro Tsuji, chlorogenic acid, present in coffee beans, has been proven to reduce liver cancer in lab animals. Although they are still unsure of what specific substance in coffee beans prevents cirrhosis of the liver, statistics of a study done on 61,000 people have proven that the chances of developing liver cancer were 0.58 for those who drink more than a cup of coffee per day and 0.71 for those who drink less than a cup of coffee a day

Parkinson's Disease Prevention: Although research is sparse on the effects of coffee in reducing the risk of PD, it has been shown, by way of animal testing, that caffeine reduces the neurotoxins that destroy nerve cells in the brain.

Alzheimer's Disease Prevention: Caffeine's neuro-protective effects can be seen in prevention of PD as well as AD. Although regular exercise is also considered to help immensely in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's.

Antioxidant Properties: Coffee has been found to have amazing antioxidant qualities comparable to the type of antiradical substances found in fruits and vegetables. One of the main anticancer compounds, methylpyridinium, is not present in significant amounts in other food materials. Methylpyridinium is also not present in raw coffee beans but is formed during the roasting process from trigonellin, which is common in raw coffee beans. It is present in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, and even in instant coffee.

- Roast Colors Realted to Antioxidant Content?- A study on the antioxidant effects of coffee have