Coffee is a centuries-old brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, which are the seeds of “berries” from the Coffea plant. Records show that coffee has been enjoyed for over 500 years, dating back to the 15th century where it was first drank by people living in Yemen during religious ceremonies. Today, coffee beans are cultivated in over 70 countries worldwide, primarily in warm, tropical regions along the equator, such as in Central and South America, Southeast Asia, India, and Africa.
The two most commonly grown types of coffee are arabica and robusta. While not a big contributor of vitamins and minerals to your diet, coffee is a much better choice than energy drinks, soda, and sweetened teas or juices for most people. It contains no sugar or carbs and virtually no calories.
A “moderate amount” for healthy adults maxes out at 500 milligrams of caffeine per day, which is about five cups of home-brewed regular coffee or a little more than one grande Starbucks coffee which has about 360 milligrams.
For pregnant women, the amount is less, around 200 milligrams daily or less but many pregnant women still prefer to have none at all. Most health experts recommend drinking between one and two cups a day ideally, which isn’t associated with negative reactions but seems to be beneficial for most people. Of course, for people with specific health conditions, much less or even none might be appropriate.
The wake-up power of caffeine lasts for about seven hours, so if drinking coffee makes it hard for you to get to sleep, have your last cup about six or seven hours before you normally head for bed. On the other hand, although nobody quite knows why, some people actually find a cup of coffee right at bedtime relaxing.
Either way you see it, coffee would continue to take the stand of an essential beverage all around the world.
