Beverages

Beverages

How about a cup of coffee or tea? We always entertain our guests with this offer. Children exchange chocolates during their birthdays.

All non-alcoholic beverages contain alkaloids that stimulate central nervous system and also possess mild diuretic properties. In this part of chapter, we learn about three popular non-alcoholic beverages namely tea, coffee and cocoa.

Tea

Botanical name : Camellia sinensis

Family : Theaceae

Origin and Area of cultivation:

Tea is native of China.Assam is the top tea producer in India, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Uses

Tea is the most popular beverage among all sections of people in India. Regular consumption of green tea is believed to lowers the bad cholesterol and increases the good cholesterol.

Coffee

Botanical name : Cofffea arabica

Family : Rubiaceae

Why does a student or a driver prefer tea or coffee during night work?

Origin and Area of cultivation:

Cof fea arabica is the prime source of commercial coffee which is native to the tropical Ethiopia An Indian Muslim saint, Baba Budan introduced coffee from Yemen to Mysore.Karnataka is the largest coffee producing state in India followed by Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Tamil Nadu is the largest consumer of coffee in India.

Uses

Drinking coffee in moderation provides the following health benefits:

Caffeine enhances release of acetylcholine in brain, which in turn enhances efficiency. It can lower the incidence of fatty liver diseases, cirrhosis and cancer. It may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Cocoa

Botanical name: Theobroma cacao

Family : Malvaceae

Origin and Area of cultivation:

Cocoa is native of Tropical American region. The word Theobroma (Theos means god, broma means food) means ‘food of the Gods’. Kerala is the largest producer of Cocoa in India followed by Karnataka.

Uses

Cocoa is mainly used in confectionaries and forms an important ingredient in nutritive drinks. Cocoa products are rich in fibres, minerals and antioxidants, thus preventing cancer, cardiovascular diseases, premature ageing.