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The magical beans

By Faiza M.
Tue, 10, 22

So don’t forget to raise your favourite mug of coffee in celebration of International Coffee Day, whether it be an espresso, latte, flat white or any other....

The magical beans

international coffee day

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. We all love the delicious beverage, so much that billions of cups are consumed all over the world each year! Whether it’s drunk as part of a daily routine or savoured whilst enjoying a catch up with friends, it’s no secret that it forms a large part of our everyday lives so it makes sense that there’s a dedicated day to celebrate it!

International Coffee Day is celebrated on October 1st every year to recognise the millions of people across the world from farmers, roasters, coffee shop owners, etc. who work hard to create and serve coffee in a consumable form. It is a global celebration for coffee lovers to come together and celebrate their love of the beverage. The event aims to raise awareness of the incredible work of those involved in the coffee industry and promote the fair trade of coffee. So don’t forget to raise your favourite mug of coffee in celebration of International Coffee Day, whether it be an espresso, latte, flat white or any other.

Types of coffee beans

There are mainly 4 types of coffee beans.

Arabica: It is the most common type of coffee beans available in the market. It has a sweeter taste and is less acidic in nature. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of Arabica beans.

Robusta: The second on the list is Robusta beans. They are known for a strong and harsh flavour having extremely high levels of caffeine. The Robusta coffee beans are popular in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Liberica: You will rarely find liberica coffee beans in the market. These coffee beans are known to have a ‘woody’ taste. They became popular when a plant disease ‘coffee rust’ set in and eliminated the Arabica plants around the globe. The Philippines were the first to harvest it.

Excelsa: Excelsa is the latest addition to the major types of coffee beans. It is mostly grown in Southeast Asia and has a tart, fruitier flavour. It has the attributes of both light and dark roast coffee.

Health benefits of drinking coffee

Your brew gives you benefits beyond an energy boost. Here are top ways coffee can positively impact your health:

The magical beans

Long live coffee: Recent studies found that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from some of the leading causes of death in women: coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes and kidney disease.

Your body may process glucose (or sugar) better: That’s the theory behind studies that found that people who drink more coffee are less likely to get type-2 diabetes.

You’re less likely to develop heart failure: Drinking one to two cups of coffee a day may help ward off heart failure, when a weakened heart has difficulty pumping enough blood to the body.

Your liver will thank you: Both regular and decaf coffee seem to have a protective effect on your liver. Research shows that coffee drinkers are more likely to have liver enzyme levels within a healthy range than people who don’t drink coffee.

Your DNA will get stronger: Dark roast coffee decreases breakage in DNA strands, which occur naturally but can lead to cancer or tumours if not repaired by your cells.

Your odds of getting colon cancer will go way down: One in 23 women develop colon cancer. But researchers found that coffee drinkers - decaf or regular - were 26 per cent less likely to develop colorectal cancer.

You may decrease your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease: The caffeine in two cups of coffee may provide significant protection against developing the condition. In fact, researchers found that women age 65 and older who drank two to three cups of coffee a day were less likely to develop dementia in general.

Coffee facts!

A precious treasure - Coffee is the second largest traded commodity right after crude oil, and the most consumed beverage, after water.

The drink for creative and artistic people - Even Beethoven was a coffee lover! It is well known that he used to count his beans before making the brew, mostly 60 per cup.

Not a bean, but a berry! - Coffee beans are called ‘beans’ just because of the resemblance, but they’re actually berries.

Coffee resembles a neurotransmitter - In medicine and psychology, caffeine is a central-nervous-system stimulant, and that is because it has a similar molecular structure to the ‘adenosine’, which allows it to bind to ‘adenosine receptors’ on the brain.