“Coffee is a solace for the heart and for the spirit”
Giuseppe Verdi

Coffee arrived in Europe at the end of the 16th century and the first “coffee shop” opened in Venice in 1640. It was an immediate success and coffee spread to every Italian city. Coffea, the plant which provides us with this delicious drink, grows in the tropical and equatorial regions of the world which provide consistently high temperatures.

The Coffee Factory

When the rains begin sweet smelling white flowers blossom followed nine months by the fruit: shinny red drupes like cherries. Coffee has many beneficial properties. These depend on the caffeine content and on the hundreds of antioxidants and chemical composites which are thought to help prevent a series of chronic diseases including oncological and cardiovascular pathologies.

Coffee beans zenith

 Alessandra Tavani, Head of the Epidemiology of chronic diseases at the Mario Negri Irccs Institute of Pharmacological research in Milan states that “the caffeine in a small cup of coffee can be held responsible for reducing the sense of tiredness, while it can increase mental concentration and motility in the intestine”. “In addition to this” continues Dr Tavani “given the correct dose, caffeine can increase the painkilling effects of aspirin by increasing bioavailability. Other components of coffee, like polyphenols, can have a positive effect and prevent cardiovascular illnesses and tumours in the oral cavity and of the liver. It can also work against cirrhosis of the liver, tumours of the endometrium and perhaps of the colon.

Recent data shows that coffee can be associated with an increase in life expectancy, however, these results must be confirmed. It would appear that drinking up to 3 cups of coffee a day, a healthy person can enjoy the pleasure of good coffee without risking their health”.

A freshly brewed espresso