Coffee Trees
Coffee trees are part of the Chenopodiaceae family, whose Latin name is Coffea L.
The coffee tree family itself is Rubiaceae.
Description of Coffee Trees
One such variety is Coffea arabica. This plant grows wild in Ethiopia, in river valleys, at altitudes of up to two thousand meters above sea level. Coffea arabica is cultivated in many tropical countries.
The Congolese variety is found in the equatorial forests and savannas of the Congo River basin. This plant is also widely cultivated in Indonesia.
Coffee trees are either shrubs or small trees, reaching a height of about eight to ten meters. This tree will be evergreen, with a trunk with greenish-gray bark and long, flexible branches that can be either drooping or spreading. The leaves of this plant are short-petioled, wavy, entire, and opposite. Coffee tree flowers are white and fragrant, with three to seven flowers in the leaf axils. These flowers are regular and sympetalous. Remarkably, flowering and fruiting of this plant will continue throughout the year. The fruit of the coffee tree is a nearly spherical or oval berry, colored dark red. This berry is two-seeded, and its diameter is approximately one to one and a half centimeters.
Description of the medicinal properties of coffee trees
Coffee trees are endowed with very valuable medicinal properties, and it is recommended to use the seeds of this plant for medicinal purposes. These seeds contain up to two percent caffeine, depending on the coffee plant variety.
Caffeine has the ability to enhance and regulate excitatory processes occurring in the cerebral cortex. In appropriate doses, caffeine will enhance positive conditioned reflexes and has the ability to increase motor activity. However, it should be remembered that in large doses, caffeine can lead to nerve paralysis.
It is noteworthy that the effect of caffeine will depend on the type of higher nervous activity. Caffeine has the effect of narcotic and hypnotic drugs; it will also increase the reflex excitability of the spinal cord and stimulate the vasomotor and respiratory centers. In addition, under the influence of caffeine, cardiac activity will also increase. In this case, myocardial contractions will become more intense, and the heartbeats themselves will become more frequent. Caffeine will also stimulate the secretory activity of the stomach.
It should be noted that caffeine is present in numerous medications. For headaches, to stimulate mental fatigue and for first aid, coffee is used.
In case of poisoning, coffee will have a beneficial effect; after washing the stomach and intestines, the patient should be given about one or two cups of coffee. Coffee tannins will have a positive effect on the mucous membrane of the intestines and stomach, and are also capable of precipitating the remains of toxic substances and even preventing their absorption. Also, in case of poisoning, caffeine has the ability to tonify the body, as well as to enhance weakened cardiac activity.
Coffee is also used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, because the tannins it contains will help improve digestion and stop diarrhea.
