Millions of adults throughout the world would find it very difficult to start the day without a hot cup of coffee, particularly if they live in the Americas or Continental Europe. Statistics show that, for these populations, coffee is the preferred hot beverage, whereas in Eastern Europe and Asia, people tend to favour tea. The countries that consume the most coffee, however, are not necessarily those that produce it. Coffee beans are grown in approximately eighty countries in South and Central America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa. Brazil has been the world's largest coffee exporter for many decades, but Asian countries are increasingly competitive in the international coffee market. Vietnam tripled its coffee exports in the late 1990s to become the second most important player, and Indonesia now ranks third.
The popularity of coffee has been threatened in the past by reports of its negative effects on human health. Some people become addicted to caffeine, suffering physical symptoms related to overstimulation but also from withdrawal. Coffee consumption can also negatively affect a person's mood, increasing anxiety that may lead to depression. Nevertheless, coffee has been shown by other studies to produce health benefits in drinkers. It is high in antioxidants that help fight toxicity and protect the liver. Drinking coffee can also improve physical performance and endurance, and it increases blood flow to the brain, enhancing cognitive functioning too.