People worldwide depend on coffee as the world’s most widely consumed functional beverage to help wake them up, boost performance during a workout or work break and enhance concentration. Caffeine serves as an effective nootropic that has been demonstrated to enhance memory retention, reaction times and athletic performance.

Coffee’s health benefits extend far beyond caffeine; many of its advantages can be attributed to its naturally occurring nutrients and potency antioxidants which may help ward off metabolic diseases like diabetes and Parkinson’s. Furthermore, this drink may aid in managing depression-like mental illness disorders; its mood-enhancing properties are due to inhibiting the reuptake of neurotransmitter adenosine by the body while increasing release of mood-regulating dopamine in the brain.

Coffee is made by roasting and grinding seeds of Coffea plants, belonging to the botanical genus Coffea. These beans grow inside cherry fruit which takes around one year to fully mature before it ripens and can be harvested for coffee consumption. In 1616, Dutch merchant Pieter van den Broecke was the first European to acquire live coffee plants and beans that he brought back with him to Amsterdam for further cultivation.

Today, coffee is a widely consumed beverage available in over 60 varieties and flavors. Along with traditional cold brew coffees, functional cold brew varieties are increasingly being enhanced with adaptogens and nootropic ingredients like L-theanine, lion’s mane mushrooms and extra caffeine – keeping pace with current health and wellness macro trends such as stress reduction, cognitive enhancement and immune system support.