COFFEE
COFFEE
On the island of Java is experiencing
a
marten that feeds on fruits ripe
coffee
. Farmers have never been prevented, since it chooses the best fruits. Thus, in their droppings can be found the best seeds, which are planted to obtain new copies.
The fruits of
coffee
, made from
a
fleshy mass that surrounds two
grains
flattened and united, consisting essentially of
a
fabric that contains nutritive 2% of caffeine.
The term refers to the
coffee
seeds of
a
tree called the
coffee
, and the infusion prepared with it. The plant precedes of Ethiopia, where he went to
Arabia
to the Xlll century. There
was
consumed in infusion of leaves or seeds after fermentation. The process of
roasting
is more recent: the first drink, eat know that
now
, the Arabs instituted at the dawn of the century Xlll At the end of the nineteenth,
a
fungus wiped out all African tropical plantations. He had to resort to planting new varieties resistant.
FEATURES:
Tree up to 8 m tall, of white flowers, very fragrant, being developed in large groups on the branches, with short petioles. It is characteristic flowering, for in
a
coffee
all the flowers of the same
generation
are opened at once, so that, from day to day, you can move from one plantation to another green completely white. The fruit is
a
drupe (seed wrapper with fleshy) the size and color of
a
cherry
and in
each
there are two
coffee
beans
, flowers appear early in the third year of life,
but
until the seventh starts to become profitable production which is very high for three or four years to begin to decline until 20 0 30.
LOCATION:
Originally from Africa, is grown in tropical regions around the world. Only temperatures between 10 and 25 and are lethal temperatures below 5 °
C
below zero. The African species is preferred for the production of
coffee
, however, in
Brazil
, for example,
has
introduced the species Coffea released, and islands in Mauritius, which
has
been christened
C
. mauritiana. It requires deep permeable soils, eat several areas of
Brazil
, which provide some of the best coffees in the world, even to displace the legendary 'Moka' Arabic.
ACTIVE:
The core component of
coffee
is caffeine, which represents about 2% of the seed. It also contains sugar, cellulose, fats and tannins. With very little
roasting
modifies the composition Í grain. The heat destroys the sugars, fats oxidize and pops
a
caféona essence, which gives the infusion their characteristic aroma.
Medicinal properties:
The
coffee
stimulates circulation, respiration and the
nervous
system
and raises blood pressure slightly. It reduces fatigue, facilitates the mental work. It is very practical in the recovery of
alcohol
poisoning.
COLLECTING:
in dry weather, taking the ripe fruits one by one. On some plantations are expected to fall from the tree out of the
ground
.
USES AND APPLICATIONS:
It is used in infusion from grain dry roasted and
ground
, with infinite variations in terms of preparation.
Used Part.
Seed.
Drug Action.
Caffeine is
a
stimulant of the
central
nervous
system
, neuromuscular and psychological level. The
potassium
salts give it
a
diuretic action, reinforced by the chlorogenic acids, which are responsible for and expectorante colerética their
activity
. Increases gastric motility and the
intestinal
peristalsis. In topical application is lipolytic.
Indications.
Psycho
- physical fatigue, hypotension, bradycardia, dyskinesias
gallstones
, constipation,
bronchitis
, opiate poisoning, cardiorespiratory
depression
.
Localized adiposity (cellulite)
Contraindications.
Not to associate with tranquilizers or other stimulants:
ginseng
,
eleuterococo
,
cola nut
,
guarana
,
mate
,
ephedra
, and so on.
Side Effects.
Insomnia
, nervousness, tachycardia, palpitations. For its alkaloid content is advisable to take
a
discontinuous. Its prolonged use causes
addiction
.
Caution / Poisoning.
It is
common
for the inclusion of caffeine in antimigrañosas formulations, to be shown that increases the effectiveness of analgesics. In contrast to prolonged treatments can cause
headaches
as
a
rebound effect, besides creating dependency.
Galenica forms / Dosage.
Infusion (5 - 7 g / l) one to two cups
a
day, after breakfast and lunch.
Take for short periods.
Topical use:
Caffeine or glycolic extract (1: 5) in gels or creams lipolytic.
Bibliography.
Benigni, R; Capra,
C
; Cattorini,
P
. Piante Medicinali. Chimica, Pharmacology and Therapy. Milano: Inverni & Della Beffa, 1962, pp. 175 - 80.
Bézanger - Beauquesne, L; Pinkas, M; Torck, M. Dans la Plantes Les Thérapeutiques Moderne. 2. Paris: Maloine, 1986, pp. 160 - 2.
Bruneton, J. Elements of Phytochemistry and Pharmacognosy. Zaragoza: Acribia, 1991, pp. 545 - 6.
D'Arcy, PF. Adverse reactions and interactions with
herbal
medicines. Part I. Adverse reactions. Adverse Drug React Toxicol Rev, 1991; 10 (4) 189 - 208.
James,
A
; Duke, Ph.
D
. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. 5. Boca Raton,
Florida
: CRC Press, 1987, pp. 130 - 2.
Paris, RR; Moyse, M. Summary of Matter Médicale. Take II. Paris: Masson, 1967,
p
. 358.
Samuelsson, G. Drugs of
Natural
Origin
.
A
Textbook of Pharmacognosy. Stockholm:
Swedish
Pharmaceutical Press, 1992, pp. 288; 295.
Simon, R. Guide for Pharmaceutical and Medical Pharmacology. Madrid:
A
Madrid Vicente, 1993,
p
. 20; 59.
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