Is Drinking too much Coffee Bad or Good?

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Although coffee is viewed as a food item, it can be used to understand the rhetoric’s of health, addiction and as a drink.

The genus coffea produces berries that are used to obtain coffee. The commercially exploited species are coffea Arabica and coffea robusta. Coffea Arabica is the most used species that is used to extract coffee. This type is found in the highlands of Ethiopia, Sudan and Kenya and produces high quality coffee.

The earliest consumption of coffee is believed to have been by the Sufi Muslims around mocha in Yemen. The coffee beans were harvested and brewed just like the way they are prepared today. From this area, it spread across the Middle East, Europe and finally to North Africa by the 16th century. (Pendergrast, 2010).

The drink coffee is as a result of ground coffee that has been brewed. The various ways of preparing coffee requires grinding of seeds and then mixing them with hot water. This is done to bring out the flavor but the length of time is monitored to ensure that the bitter compounds are not obtained.. The ideal temperature for coffee brewing is between 85-88 degrees Celsius. (Pendergrast, 2010).

Grinding of the coffee seeds may be done at home or at a roaster and packed to be sold in shops. The brewing method is dependent on the roasting of the coffee beans. Light roasted beans are used for filter coffee while dark roasted coffee is used for making espresso. Light roasted coffee has more acidity, is more complex and clear. On the other hand dark roasted coffee has more dissolved solid.

Grinding is usually named based on the brewing method it is basically used for. The Turkish grind produces the finest ground coffee while the French press is well known for the most coarse ground coffee. Howeve...

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...ps of coffee a day does not increase the risk of death by cancer or any cardiovascular disease. However, some people may be forced to consider going back to consumption of decaffeinated coffee. These include pregnant women and people who have problems in controlling hypertension and diabetes. To minimize the health risks posed by the consumption of coffee, one should brew coffee with a filter paper. This helps remove the substances that results in increase of cholesterol. Addiction to coffee can be minimized by taking alternative beverages such as tea.

Works Cited

Lopez-Garcia E, van Dam RM, Li TY,Rodriguez-Artalejo F, Hu FB. The Relationship of Coffee Consumption with Mortality. Ann Intern Med. 2008

Villanueva, Cristina M: Coffee and health, 2005

Mark Pendergrast, Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World, 2010.

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