Family: Rubiaceae; other members include gardenia, ipecac, cinchona
Genus and Species: Coffee Arabica, C. liberica, C. robusta
Also known as: Arabica, mocha, java, espresso, cappuccino, latté
Parts used: Roasted, ground seeds (“beans”)
HEALING with Coffee
Caffeine, the stimulant in coffee (and cocoa, tea, mate, and cola drinks) is also an ingredient in many cold, flu, sleep prevention, and menstrual remedies – uses that are direct outgrowths of its role in traditional herbal healing.
Caffeine, the stimulant in coffee (and cocoa, tea, mate, and cola drinks) is also an ingredient in many cold, flu, sleep prevention, and menstrual remedies – uses that are direct outgrowths of its role in traditional herbal healing.
Coffee’s caffeine content depends on how it’s prepared. A cup of instant contains about 65mg. Drip or percolated coffee has 100 to 150 mg. A cup of espresso contains 350mg.
Caffeine is such an integral part of our culture; we seldom realize how much of a drug it is. The fact, is caffeine is classically addictive. Regular users develop tolerance and require more to obtain the expected effect. Deprived of caffeine, regular users usually develop withdrawal symptoms, primarily headaches.
The media regularly report health problems linked to coffee, but they never discuss its many possible healing benefits.
1. Pick Me Up. No doubt about it: coffee is a powerful CNS stimulant. For those who drive long distances, it helps prevent dozing at the wheel. And it counteracts the sedative effects of antihistamines, which is one reason it’s included in many cold remedies. It does not, however, help people sober up after overindulging in alcohol.
2. Increase Stamina. Attention, athletes: Coffee may improve physical stamina, according to a report in The Physician and Sportsmedicine. The International Olympic Committee forbids the use of more than seven cups within 3 hours before Olympic events.
3. Asthma. A few studies show coffee helps prevent asthma attacks. The caffeine opens the bronchial passages in the lungs, thus supporting one of the herb’s traditional uses.
4. Weight Loss. Coffee may help some people lose weight. It may boost the number of calories you burn per hour – your metabolic rate – by about 4 percent. In people with weight problems, that translates to a significant increase in calories burned after a meal, according to one study.
5. Jet Lag. Jet lag is the disorientation, insomnia, and fatigue that develop after flying across time zones. Coffee may help shift the body’s natural time cycle (circadian rhythm) after abrupt time-zone changes. Some jet-lag authorities recommend drinking coffee in the morning when traveling west and in the late afternoon when traveling east.
1. Pick Me Up. No doubt about it: coffee is a powerful CNS stimulant. For those who drive long distances, it helps prevent dozing at the wheel. And it counteracts the sedative effects of antihistamines, which is one reason it’s included in many cold remedies. It does not, however, help people sober up after overindulging in alcohol.
2. Increase Stamina. Attention, athletes: Coffee may improve physical stamina, according to a report in The Physician and Sportsmedicine. The International Olympic Committee forbids the use of more than seven cups within 3 hours before Olympic events.
3. Asthma. A few studies show coffee helps prevent asthma attacks. The caffeine opens the bronchial passages in the lungs, thus supporting one of the herb’s traditional uses.
4. Weight Loss. Coffee may help some people lose weight. It may boost the number of calories you burn per hour – your metabolic rate – by about 4 percent. In people with weight problems, that translates to a significant increase in calories burned after a meal, according to one study.
5. Jet Lag. Jet lag is the disorientation, insomnia, and fatigue that develop after flying across time zones. Coffee may help shift the body’s natural time cycle (circadian rhythm) after abrupt time-zone changes. Some jet-lag authorities recommend drinking coffee in the morning when traveling west and in the late afternoon when traveling east.
Rx for Coffee
Coffee has a wonderful, pleasantly bitter taste. Americans have more than proven that that’s sufficient incentive to drink it regularly. You might also enjoy coffee as a pick-me-up for its stimulating effects, to possibly help increase stamina, prevent asthma attacks and jet lag, or with meals as a possible weight-loss aid.
Coffee has a wonderful, pleasantly bitter taste. Americans have more than proven that that’s sufficient incentive to drink it regularly. You might also enjoy coffee as a pick-me-up for its stimulating effects, to possibly help increase stamina, prevent asthma attacks and jet lag, or with meals as a possible weight-loss aid.
For an infusion (otherwise known as a cup of java), use 1 heaping tablespoon of ground beans per cup of water. Brew it using your favorite method – or buy instant and follow directions on the label. Drink up to 3 cups a day.
Coffee-flavored food items (yogurt, ice cream, etc.) also contain caffeine. If you use them, adjust your coffee consumption downward.
Coffee-flavored food items (yogurt, ice cream, etc.) also contain caffeine. If you use them, adjust your coffee consumption downward.
Coffee should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with a low strength brews and increase strength if necessary.
SAFETY FACTOR
Coffee may increase anxiety, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart and respiratory rate, and secretion of stomach acid. It may cause insomnia, irritability, and nervousness. Caffeine has also been implicated in cancer, heart disease, anxiety neuroses, and brith defects. One recent report noted: “If caffeine were a newly synthesized drug, its manufacturer would almost certainly have great difficulty getting it licensed under current (FDA) regulations. If it were licensed, it would almost certainly be available only by prescription.
Coffee may increase anxiety, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart and respiratory rate, and secretion of stomach acid. It may cause insomnia, irritability, and nervousness. Caffeine has also been implicated in cancer, heart disease, anxiety neuroses, and brith defects. One recent report noted: “If caffeine were a newly synthesized drug, its manufacturer would almost certainly have great difficulty getting it licensed under current (FDA) regulations. If it were licensed, it would almost certainly be available only by prescription.
Ref: Healing Herbs, by Michael Castleman, 1991
