"Coffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant."

...so it sounds pretty harmless right? One would assume that a beverage derived from a bean would be an inconsequential, natural concoction...no?

"It has been said that green coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world behind crude oil."

...herein lies our first clue. Why is the world spending almost as much on these little beans as they are on oil? Coffee isn't an energy-sustaining fuel...??

"Due to its caffeine content, coffee can have a stimulating effect in humans..."

...ah but it DOES fuel us. An 'oil' for the body, the 'rocket fuel' of the weary, the saviour of the sleep-deprived, the kick-starter of our engines...But is that all? Surely not...

"Coffee has played an important role in many societies throughout history. In Africa and Yemen, it was used in religious ceremonies."

...ok so it was once part of religious ritual, even banned in some denominations...But is that why I ritualistically crawl out of bed every day to brew my morning cup before all else? I don't think religious sentiment is on my mind as I stumble for my Lavazza...

"The Harvard School of Public Health state that "the overall balance of risks and benefits [of coffee consumption] are on the side of benefits." Various other studies have shown apparent reductions in the risks of Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Heart Disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, cirrhosis of the liver Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease and gout."

...so is the reason we have 16,120 Starbucks stores in 49 countries across the world? Do i spend almost half my grocery money on Italian imported coffee at the international supermarket in Japan in an attempt to ward of gout?...I think not!

...humans have fallen in love with this 'drink of the gods.' There is something inexplicable about the pleasure found in the 'wine of the bean' that makes it rich with an almost mystical air. It is the aroma, taste, medicinal properties, physical effects and ritualistic consumption traditions of coffee that have turned this humble beverage into the global phenomenon it is today...

...and for those who are not yet citizens of the coffee world, I pity thee!

"No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness."

~Sheik Abd-al-Kadir

Don't forget your raincoat if you go swimming (after your morning coffee that is!) xx

Sources: http://www.wikepedia.com/, www.google.com/images, http://www.quotegarden.com/