The masses have debated the pros and cons associated with coffee for centuries. Some blame it for impotence and madness, while others praise it as a cure for laziness or an outright gift from above. These are some pretty heavy claims if you ask us. However, there is now some scientific backing to the good, the bad, and the ugly of coffee. Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world. It is also the most well-known ingredient of coffee. Academics have researched the health benefits of coffee quite thoroughly.
Your average, everyday, cup of coffee is a complex and intricate beverage. Your average cup of coffee can contain upwards of a thousand different substances. Some studies state that both regular and decaffeinated coffee share the same health benefits. This would suggest that caffeine is not the primary factor. Academics are nowhere near finished in terms of their coffee-related research, but here’s what we know so far.
13 Awesome Health Benefits of Coffee
Coffee Can Improve Energy Levels & Reaction Times
Coffee can help you feel less tired and increase your overall energy levels. Upon drinking coffee, your body absorbs the caffeine into your bloodstream. From there, it travels to your brain.
Once the caffeine is in your brain, it blocks the inhibitory neurotransmitter adenosine. When this happens, the number of neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and dopamine, increases. This results in the enhanced firing of neurons.
Numerous controlled studies have shown that coffee improves different aspects of brain function, including memory, mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times, and greater mental function.
Drinking Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat
Caffeine is found in just about every fat-burning supplement out there and there’s a good reason why.
A number of studies have shown that caffeine can boost your metabolism by 3 – 11%. This boost is without question a major health benefit of coffee. Other studies indicate that caffeine can specifically increase fat burning by as much as 10% in obese individuals and 29% in lean people. However, there’s a strong possibility that these effects could diminish for long-term coffee drinkers.
Coffee Can Seriously Improve Your Physical Performance
Caffeine does a great job of stimulating your nervous system, which causes your body to break down body fat. Furthermore, caffeine also increases epinephrine (aka adrenaline) levels in your blood. Epinephrine is the fight-or-flight hormone, which prepares your body to exert intense physical strength.
Given these effects, it’s not surprising that caffeine can improve physical performance by 11 – 12% on average. Knowing this, it makes total sense to have a strong cup of coffee about 30 minutes before you begin your workout.
Coffee Contains Essential Nutrients (This is a No-Brainer Health Benefit of Coffee!)
Many of the nutrients found in coffee beans make their way into the finished brewed product that we drink. This is a cornerstone of the health benefits associated with coffee.
A single 12-ounce cup of coffee contains:
- Riboflavin (vitamin B2): 11% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI).
- Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5): 6% of the RDI.
- Manganese and potassium: 3% of the RDI.
- Magnesium and niacin (vitamin B3): 2% of the RDI.
While this may not seem like a big deal, most coffee drinkers consume multiple cups per day, which allows these amounts to quickly add up.
Coffee Can Decrease Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a serious health problem and it currently impacts millions of people around the world.
Increased blood sugar levels due to insulin resistance or a reduced ability to secrete insulin are trademarks of Type 2 diabetes.
For unknown reasons, coffee drinkers have a significantly reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Studies show that people who drink three cups of coffee lower their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 42%. One study even showed a 67% reduction!
According to a broad review of 18 studies that included 457,922 participants, each cup of coffee consumed per day reduced the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 7%. This clearly shows a serious health benefit associated with coffee.
Coffee May Protect You From Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Alzheimer’s is the most common neurodegenerative disease. It is also the leading cause of dementia worldwide.
Alzheimer’s usually impacts individuals over the age of 65 and there is no known cure to date. However, there are several things you do to prevent the disease from occurring in the first place. Besides the obvious preventative measures – eating healthy and exercising – there is a correlation between drinking coffee and preventing Alzheimer’s.
Several studies show that coffee drinkers have up to a 65% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. That being said, the potential positive impact on Alzheimer’s and Dementia is a major health benefit of coffee.
Coffee May Lower Your Risk of Developing Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative condition worldwide, right behind Alzheimer’s. Parkinson’s is brought upon by the death of the neurons in your brain that generate dopamine.
Similar to Alzheimer’s, there is no cure for Parkinson’s, which makes it all that more important to focus on preventing it altogether.
Studies have shown that coffee drinkers have a far lower risk of developing Parkinson’s, with a risk reduction ranging from 32-60%. These studies show that caffeine itself appears to be beneficial, seeing how people who drink decaf coffee typically don’t see a reduction in their risk of developing Parkinson’s.
Coffee May Protect Your Liver
Your liver is a phenomenal organ seeing how it carries out hundreds of vital functions. Several common diseases typically affect the liver. These diseases include hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and a whole host of other nasty diseases.
Many of these conditions can lead to cirrhosis, which involves scar tissue overwhelming your liver.
On the bright side, coffee may protect your liver from cirrhosis. People who drink 4+ cups of coffee per day have up to an 80% lower risk of developing cirrhosis. This is an awesome benefit of drinking coffee, especially when you take into account that 80% of all caffeine is consumed via coffee.
Coffee Can Help You Fend Off Depression
Depression is a serious mental disorder that greatly reduces one’s quality of life. Roughly 4.1% of Americans currently meet the criteria for clinical depression. In a Harvard study published in 2011, women who drank four, or more, cups of coffee per day had a 20% lower chance of becoming depressed.
Another study of 208,424 participants found that individuals who drank 4+ cups of coffee per day were 53% less likely to commit suicide.
Coffee May Reduce Your Risk of Certain Cancers
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth throughout your body.
Coffee appears to protect individuals from two common forms of cancer: liver and colorectal cancer.
Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world and colorectal cancer ranks fourth.
Studies show that coffee drinkers reduce their risk of developing liver cancer by up to 40%.
Similarly, another study involving 489,706 participants found that those who drink between four and five cups of coffee per day reduce their chance of developing colorectal cancer by 15%.
Coffee Doesn’t Cause Heart Disease and May Reduce Stroke Risk
It is often said that caffeine can increase your blood pressure. While this is true, it typically only raises your blood pressure by 3-4mm/Hg. This is a minor increase and typically dissipates if you consume coffee on a regular basis.
However, it may persist in some people, so you need to be mindful of your blood pressure becomes elevated.
That being said, studies do not support the belief that coffee increases your odds of developing heart disease.
Furthermore, some studies show that coffee drinkers have a 20% lower risk of suffering a stroke.
Coffee May Help You Live Longer
Seeing how coffee drinkers are less likely to develop numerous diseases, it makes sense that coffee could potentially help you live longer.
Multiple observational studies show that coffee drinkers do in fact live longer than those who do not consume coffee on a regular basis.
In two large studies, drinking coffee was associated with a 20% reduced risk of death in men and a 26% decreased risk of death in women, over 18–24 years.
This effect appears to be particularly strong in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. In one 20-year-long study, individuals with diabetes reduced their risk of death by roughly 30%.
Coffee is the Biggest Source of Antioxidants in the Western Diet
For those who abide by a Western diet, coffee may be one of the healthiest elements of their daily diet.
This is because coffee is rich in antioxidants. Studies show that people get more antioxidants from coffee than they do from fruits and vegetables combined.
Furthermore, there is definitely room for argument to say that coffee may in fact be one of the healthiest beverages on the planet!
Closing Thoughts
Coffee is a very popular beverage around the world. Furthermore, there are a wide array of health benefits associated with coffee.
Your daily cup of coffee can help you feel more energized, burn fat and improve overall physical performance. It may also lower your risk of several conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Furthermore, coffee may even boost your overall longevity.
If you enjoy the rich taste of coffee and can tolerate its caffeine content, don’t shy away from pouring yourself a cup (or two) throughout the day.
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