Beverages

Every non-alcoholic beverage discussed in this section shares two features: each contains alkaloids that stimulate the central nervous system, and each has mild diuretic properties. Tea (Camellia sinensis, family Theaceae), native to China, is led in Indian production by Assam, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu; it is India's single most popular beverage across all sections of society, and regular consumption of green tea is believed to lower 'bad' cholesterol while raising 'good' cholesterol. Coffee (Coffea arabica, family Rubiaceae) is native to tropical Ethiopia and reached Mysore when the Indian Muslim saint Baba Budan brought it from Yemen; Karnataka leads Indian production, followed by Tamil Nadu and Kerala, though Tamil Nadu is India's largest coffee-consuming state. In moderation, coffee's caffeine boosts the release of acetylcholine in the brain (improving mental efficiency), and coffee drinking is associated with a lower incidence of fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, certain cancers and a reduced risk of type-2 diabetes — properties that explain why students and night-shift drivers often reach for a cup to stay alert. Cocoa (Theobroma cacao, family Malvaceae), native to tropical America, takes its genus name from the Greek theos (god) and broma (food) — literally 'food of the gods' — and Kerala leads Indian …