Free Articles and Information! Is Coffee the most popular beverage of all time? By: Valerie Shapero Hundreds of years ago it is said that a lonely sheep herder and his charge stumbled across a strange and mysterious berry growing on a secluded and forgotten hillside. Before he could stop them, some of his sheep had already began to sample this strange fruit. After about ten minutes or so the shepherd began to notice something unusual about his sheep. They no longer looked tired after their long trek that day. In fact they appeared to be wide awake and very alert. The shepherd had never seen them behave this way and he was curious. Now being a little tired and weary himself the shepherd decided to try the berries for himself. Just as had happened with his flock he too became wide awake and pardon the pun, extremely "full of beans". Just then a monk happened by and after hearing what had happened proceeded to scold the poor shepherd and lecture him on his foolish indulgence. Having had his say the monk continued on his journey but before he set off he made absolutely sure that a plant was secured amongst his belongings. Back at the monastery the monks decided to try this new and exciting substance. Soon the endless hours of praying were endured with the greatest of ease. Coffee, the drink had been revealed to the world. Its widespread use then took a grip in the Ethiopian lands before then migrating on to the Arabian outlands. Here it was to be held for many years as a sacred substance but was eventually to be unlawfully exported by a merchant called Baba Budan. Word of its qualities were soon to spread and within a few years coffee was to emerge as one of the most valued commodities of all time. Now would you believe that each year we drink an amazing four billion cups and there are those among us who would cry at the thought of starting their day without it. Although coffee is mainly known as a sleep suppressant there are those who consider coffee to have many health benefits. It is thought that people who suffer from asthma and partake of the beverage have at least 25% less symptoms which may be due to a substance in coffee called theophylline. This is known as a bronchodilator and quite simply it is thought to help those who suffer with the disease to breath with a little more ease. Drinking coffee on a daily basis is also thought to help lower your chances of developing colon cancer by a figure also in the region of about 25%. This may be due to the fact that coffee helps to keep you regular. Coffee can do more than just help you get through your day! Apart from the benefits that have just been mentioned it has to be said that simply drinking coffee as a beverage is a delight that cannot easily be surpassed. The amazing thing is that the average person has no idea of the varied tastes that this hallowed bean has to offer. One of the growing trends of recent years has to be the rising popularity of ordering coffee via the wonder we call the internet. Never before have we been able to sample such a wide variety of tastes, blends and aromas without having to endure the tedious trials of hiking around the city. I myself tend to place small orders but I always make a point to record the name, blend and of course exactly from whom I purchased. Well now that you know the tale of the mystical beans I hope that if in the future you are considering visiting your local coffee shop you recall the story of the lowly shepherd and think about just what you might be drinking were he not to have wandered onto that bleak and lonely hillside. Why not take advantage of the internet and try the many different varieties and blends available. Not only will you impress your tastebuds, your friends will be grateful as well. Cappuccino or latte? About the author: Valerie Shapero is the owner of Fuzzy Coffee which is a premier source of information about coffee. For more information, go to: http://fuzzycoffee.com