Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Medicinal properties of coffee and biochemical composition

Advantages of coffee due to the fact that nature has united in its variety of substances that are in the process of thermal processing of grains and preparation of the drink are undergoing big changes. In the composition of raw coffee beans are: caffeine, trigonelline, theophylline, chlorogenic acid, proteins and mineral salts. These substances make up about 1 / 4 the mass of freshly coffee beans. In addition, beans have fiber, coffee oil, water. 

According to legend, in ancient times, one an Ethiopian shepherd noticed that the goats, which he grazed on the mountain slopes, became unusually frisky when fed on fruits of wild bushes. The shepherd tried these fruits, like cherries. To his surprise, he felt a burst of energy, fatigue, it totally disappeared. So, according to legend, because the goats were discovered magic properties of coffee. 

In the raw beans contain 1-2% caffeine in roasted - 1,5%. Quantity of sugar in the raw beans to 8% in roasted - 2-3%. Fried corn contain up to 7% of chlorogenic acid, 4-5% kofedubilnoy acid, 15% fat, more than 20% cellulose, 3.9% minerals, 13-15% protein, 10% water, about 14% of nitrogen compounds, and phenolic derivatives of pyridine, acetic acid and some other chemical compounds. 
Especially a lot of caffeine Robusta, grown in Guinea (1,7-2,3%), in Santos - 1,3-1,5%, Al Hudaydah - 1,2%. In soluble coffee contains 3-5% caffeine. Alkaloid trigonelline did not have aphrodisiac properties, but roasted grains give a specific taste and smell. In the process of roasting produced a very complicated matter - kofeol, giving the product a special coffee aroma. In a properly roasted beans to the number reaches 1,5%. 
In addition, coffee contains more than 30 different organic acids (including malic, citric, acetic and coffee). 
Along with the organic coffee industry also produces kofezameniteli, or coffee substitutes derived from diverse plant material (barley, acorns, etc.). In some of them add organic coffee, chicory. The packaging indicated the composition and method of preparing the drink. 
Ancient physicians believed that coffee is useful in cough, inflammatory processes in the brain, throat and other organs. He opens the "blockage" and increases urination. To enhance moods, removing fatigue and malaise to drink coffee with sweets and fats. This contributes to the manifestation of useful properties of coffee and eliminate its negative impacts. 
In folk medicine, freshly brewed hot coffee recommended weakened and thinner patients, in particular has endured a serious infectious disease. In the tropics of Africa coffee seeds are used as an antidote to opium, to treat a variety of poisoning, with cholera. 
Various drinks from coffee are used as therapeutic and dietary facilities and modern medicine. Coffee acts on the body like tea. However, coffee (especially soluble) due to the large content of caffeine (3-5%) more actively stimulates the central nervous system, increases the reflex excitability, stimulate productivity, enhances the activity of the heart and respiratory system, raise blood pressure, dilates vessels of the brain, stimulates the secretion of gastric juice improves the appetite. Tonic effect of coffee is most clearly seen in people with arterial hypertension, as well as poor physical and mental fatigue. It removes fatigue and sleepiness, increases the response vigilance and caution. 
Some people coffee removes the headache, others vice versa - is a feeling of heaviness and headache. It is known that many types of headaches (especially migraines) associated with narrowing of cerebral vessels. Caffeine enhances them, resulting in disappearing spastic attacks. That is why this drink has long been considered a useful tool for migraine. 
In some cases, receive strong brewed coffee causes a strong contraction or spasm of cerebral vessels, which contributes to a headache. 
For most people, coffee causes insomnia. However, in some cases, the use of this beverage somnolence. This is explained by the fact that caffeine in therapeutic doses has a tonic effect on the excitatory process, aligns it to the norm. " The result is a physiological balance of the two main processes - excitation and inhibition, without which there can be normal operation of the cerebral cortex. In the case of the predominance of excitation over inhibition arises state insomnia and vice versa. 
Caffeine, restoring balance between the processes of excitation and inhibition in the brain in people with impaired balance, has a sedative effect. It is also important, and another thing: eliminating the feeling of fatigue or removing the headache of coffee in the body creates a peculiar state of self-comfort, which is a leading factor in the occurrence of sleep and its normal flow. 
Coffee contains a group of fairly active vasodilator compounds-alkaloids: theobromine, theophylline and vitamin PP. 
After receiving the coffee rapid absorption of caffeine causes an increase in blood pressure, and gipotoniki 15-30 minutes feel better. They disappear fatigue, malaise, drowsiness, mood, and increase efficiency. However, this improvement in short-term. A few minutes later a man there is a kind of internal weakness. In the case of repeated use of coffee this feeling disappears, but some time later reappears. People who are not familiar with the mechanism of action of coffee and start to use it in large doses. As a result, the human condition significantly worsens, there are general weakness, palpitation, pulsation of the cerebral vessels. Some persons are seen shaking hands and fingers. 
General weakness and malaise, occurring after short-term tonic coffee, linked to the influence of theobromine, theophylline, and vitamin PP, which have vasodilating and hypotensive properties. In the first 15-40 minutes after taking the coffee because of the high concentration of caffeine in the blood is manifested mainly sosudosuzhayuschee and hypertensive effect. Gradually, however, the caffeine content in blood decreases, and eventually begin to act his antagonists - theobromine, theophylline and vitamin PP, under whose influence the blood vessels dilate and blood pressure decreases. Therefore, on the background of short-term improvement in the overall state in gipotonikov its sharp deterioration occurs. 
High blood pressure, on the contrary, harmful only the first phase of the coffee, and the second (hypotensive) for them is curative. 
Available in coffee beans of various acids has a positive effect on the stomach and improves digestion. American scientists have conducted interesting studies and convincingly proven that coffee consumption does not contribute to the development of ulcerative colitis and cancer of the intestines. 
Abuse of coffee can cause poisoning, with a rising sertsebieniem, excessive agitation, insomnia. We poisoning increases blood pressure, cause noise in the ears, headache, delusions, emotional anxiety, discomfort in the heart, raises the body temperature. 
Nursing mothers, especially at night, you can not drink strong brewed coffee. Otherwise, the infant state of having insomnia, painful anxiety, fever and convulsions can occur. Coffee is contraindicated high blood pressure, irritable and easily excitable persons, patients with stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer, as well as in thyrotoxicosis.