Coffee is part of our lives and an essential component of the essence of being tico, but now there’s even more reason to drink the elixir.
Costa Rica is the ideal place to drink a nice, warm cup of coffee; not only because the country produces the best coffee in the world, but also because a recent study demonstrates that it reduces liver damage associated with the excessive intake of alcohol.
The Liver Study
Having two cups of coffee a day could reduce the risk of cirrhosis by 44% according to research done by Oliver Kennedy of Southampton University in Great Britain.
This hot drink was under examination for 20 years in nine different studies, and more than 430 thousand people participated in the investigation.
In eight of the nine studies, the investigators found an elevated consumption of coffee per day was associated to a lower risk of developing illness in the liver.
Cirrhosis kills more than one million people each year worldwide. It can be caused by hepatitis infections, excessive alcohol consumption, immune disorders, and fatty liver disease — which is tied to obesity and diabetes.
“Coffee is a complex mixture containing hundreds of chemical compounds, and it is unknown which of these is responsible for protecting the liver,” Kennedy said.
Costa Rica, home of the best country in the world
Coffee not only works as a natural medicine for some diseases, but it is the most traditional elixir found in Costa Rica.
The best coffee in the world is produced in our country according to the Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE), hosts of the traditional contest Taza de la Excelencia, or Cup of Excellence, that takes place in several countries.
The great result comes from a law passed in 1989 which forbids the sowing of Robusta coffee that has a low quality.
The title of world leaders in the area comes from the high standards of its quality, body, flavor and aroma besides other characteristics of coffee.
And remember the words of the Scottish philosopher, Sir Kames Mackintosh:
[quote_center]“The powers of a man’s mind are directly proportioned to the quantity of coffee he drinks.”[/quote_center]