People who drink coffee enjoy its taste, flavour and aroma, but never bother to seek the science behind the popular beverage. 
The drink that acts as a stimulant has many therapeutic properties. It is known as an antioxidant and can offer relief to those who suffer from cardiovascular ailments. There are experts who claim that coffee is a good antidote against asthma, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Even though there are contradictory views on this subject, there is no scientifically established evidence to indicate that coffee can cause health hazards.
Coffee is a natural product that contains chemical substances, some of which are volatile. Scientists have identified innumerable elements in coffee. The coffee bean has been subjected to detailed studies for finding out its composition. It is found that its contents vary depending on the location of the plant, climate in the region, condition of the soil, chemical composition of the fertilizers and pesticides used etc. Even the methods of cultivation and drying of the seeds make impacts on the quality as well as the contents of the seeds. Roasting causes structural changes in the coffee beans. The moisture contents in them evaporate because of the heat and release carbon dioxide.
Consequently sugars and amino acids make substantial changes in the texture, colour and flavour of the coffee. The temperature maintained during the frying process is very important. Inadequate heat as well as excessive temperatures can alter the characteristics of the coffee. It is matter of precision and expertise. If the beans are subjected to very high temperature than the required level, aroma and flavour will be adversely affected due to some chemical reactions taking place in the raw seeds.
Roasting time is also a vital factor in the process. Temperature control maintained during the determined duration of roasting will ultimately result in the quality of the product as far as its flavour, aroma and colour are concerned. The beans undergo qualitative changes in their colour and contents. They lose weight and become dry. Coffee oil will be released to complement the taste and flavour. Another substance present in the coffee beans is caffeine (about 1.1 to 2.2 percent) which according to some experts can cause health hazards to the users. It is an alkaloid or a nitrogenous organic compound. The irony is that while caffeine is considered as an anathema by some experts as mentioned above, some others attribute therapeutic qualities to it.
From the early periods of history, humans found that coffee is an energy boosting beverage. Efforts to identify the elements that contribute to this unique characteristic of coffee continued for centuries. Many of the physical properties and chemical contents of coffee have been identified by scientists. Research is still continuing to discover the amazing properties of coffee in the best interests of mankind.
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