Coffee - The Herb

General description and domicile:
Originally from Ethiopia but possibly named after the province of Caffa in Abyssinia where it has been cultivated for over a thousand years.

The Coffee plant will grow to over thirty feet in the wild but is kept to a manageable twelve to fifteen feet in plantations and sometimes even shorter. It has deep green oval leaves, white flowers that last for a day or two and attractive cherry-like berries that contain two seeds - the coffee beans.

Each tree, when mature, will render 500gm to a kilo of coffee beans, which although a lot, means that there are millions of trees in plantations in virtually every tropical area of the world to satisfy the huge global demand for coffee. The United States alone consume more than 100 liters of coffee per annum, which requires approximately 10lb. of roated beans.

It is interesting that South Americans possibly the largest producers of coffee (Brazil for example) are also amongst the lowest consumers of coffee, but then their traditional consumption of Yerba Mate is exceptionally high and a fitting substitute.

As a stimulant coffee is great and it has many other therapeutic benefits like the reduction of the risk of kidney and gall stones, it is effective for constipation and helps painkillers like paracetamol and aspirin control headaches and other pains.

But the coffee, or caffeine, story is not all good. It is definitely habit forming. In fact it has the classical addiction profile of causing desensitization, which means that addicts have to drink more to achieve the same level of stimulation over time. It can cause hyperactivity and even neuroses in large doses, it is bad for ulcers, it is a vasoconstrictor that leads to high blood pressure, it has been associated with heart disease, it is rumored to increase the possibility or even intensity of premenstrual stress and it is linked to urine incontinence. Someone one said that if coffee were to be introduced today it will be available as a prescription drug only (but that applies to may other allowed substances including alcoholic beverages).

Part used and extraction:
The beans, kernels, are roasted and ground although the leaves are used in some herbal remedies.
 

Remedy preparation:
Mostly drank as a beverage (infusion) but is also available in capsules.
 

History:
The beginning of the use of coffee as a stimulant in Ethiopia is not recorded as it dates back to prehistoric times. The beverage that we know today was introduced into Europe in the sixteenth century and spread rapidly from there. Most of the early coffee consumed in Europe was supplied out of Mocha (an Arabian port) hence the name.
In Europe coffee was prescribed by herbalist for constipation, painful periods, fevers and asthma.
 

Used for treatment of:

Fatigue

Improved stamina

Athletic performance enhancement

Cold

Flu

Asthma

Catarrh

Depression

Gallstones

Kidney stones

Properties:
Stimulant
Diuretic

Constituents:

Caffeine: Caffeine is a mentholated xanthine.

Caffeine is a very effective central nervous system stimulant, overcoming fatigue and sleepiness as well as increasing alertness. Prolonged use can lead to chronic insomnia and overdose will cause insomnia, agitation and tremours.

Caffeine also increases the heart rate and raises metabolism as well as raising blood pressure. Caffeine is sometimes effective against migraines.

Caffeine is habit forming and in addicts withdrawal can cause severe headaches.

Theobromine: Found in cocoa and coffee theobromine is similar in structure to caffeine but lacks the stimulant effect of caffeine.

Theophylline: A Mentholated Xanthine very similar in effect to caffeine in that it stimulates the central nervous system and is a stronger diuretic. It is a bronchial relaxant and is effective in the treatment of asthma.

Diterpenes: A bitter tasting terpenoid used widely as a stomachic. Diterpenes are believed to help with hypertension and respiratory tract complaints such as catarrh bronchitis and colds. Some diterpenes are believed to have tumour inhibitor properties as well as a stimulating effect on the immune system.

Trigonelline: A nicotinic acid derivative is a Pyridine-Piperidine Alkaloid.

Tannins: Tannins are the largest group of polyphenols found widely in bark, wood, leaves and even some fruit. Widely used to tan animal hides in the leather production industry this constituent is an Astringent, works against inflammation in mucus membranes and other skin conditions, prevents bleeding of small wounds as well as uterine bleeding and is effective against diarrhoea and dysentery.

Tannins should be used with care as they tend to inhibit the absorption of other nutrients and substances therefore reducing the efficacy of other medicinal compounds in the medication.