Coffee is the most popular, most made and consumed liquid in the world. It's been around for some time now and it seems that every possible way of growing, roasting, grinding and filtering all different types of beans has been thought of and done. Some have even gone so far to pick the beans out the feces of animals to be sold as fancy coffee at an escalated price. Coffee is the biggest commodity coming out of upcoming nations right behind oil. At 60 billion dollars a year, coffee is mighty big business.
Chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, milk or cream, sugar, maybe some booze, the list of additives to coffee is endless. Some swear by adding a dash of powdered mustard to the freshly ground beans, others are completely focused on where the beans are raised. There's the fruit belt, the Bible belt and the coffee belt. The altitude, soil and climate in which the beans are grown drastically change the flavour of the coffee produced. Coffee has been used and consumed by humans for over a thousand years so there's been plenty of time to experiment and fool around with different methods of preparing the perfect brew.
Coffee is of course addictive in nature; the caffeine has the same affects on the human body as other stimulants. In the presence of caffeine the brain reacts as it would if faced with amphetamines, heroin or cocaine, of course to a much lesser degree. Aside from getting a bit of a mild buzz and perhaps a shaky hand, there are other affects to take note of. It has been noted by some scientists that a moderate daily consumption of coffee can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by a single digit percentage, but if the amount of coffee consumed is increased, the preventative benefits increase as well.
Other health benefits include reduced risk of heart disease, Parkinson's disease, cavities, and can even be used in an emergency when asthma medication is unavailable to a sufferer. It seems that coffee is a miracle drug that would fit nicely with those peddled around in the late 1800's as a cure-all elixir. Only this one would actually work. This isn't widely publicized, but some headache medications, including Anacin and Excedrin, contain heavy doses of caffeine.
According to Doctor Depaulis, “There recently was a study from Brazil that children who drink coffee with milk each day are less likely to have depression than other children.” Coffee isn't for everyone, those who are pregnant or are an osteoporosis risk, or both I would imagine, should probably cut down or avoid coffee altogether. Simply drinking a lot of coffee is one thing, but to take it up a notch and really see some benefits it seems that people who exercise a lot see even more benefits from their cup or two of daily joe.
Whether it's the antioxidants or the caffeine found in coffee, or even the chemical property responsible for the lovely aroma that wofts out of a freshly brewed pot, there are lots of health benefits to be had. Finally, a product that's good for you and is very delicious. Skittles can learn from this.