Coffee is among the most loved beverages in the world. It’s a healthy drink due to its numerous beneficial nutrients and antioxidants.
Existing research shows that people who drink coffee often are less prone to developing several health conditions.
In this guide, you’ll learn more about the benefits that come with drinking coffee.
-
Contains a good number of essential nutrients
There’re several nutrients that are found in brewed coffee. One cup of freshly brewed coffee contains nutrients such as:
- Potassium and manganese- 3% of reference daily intake (RDI)
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)- 6% of RDI
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin) and magnesium- 2% of RDI
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)- 11% of RDI
Although these amounts of nutrients might seem low, most coffee lovers take several cups of coffee daily, thereby consuming more nutrients for enhanced health benefits.
-
Enhances energy levels
Research shows that coffee assists people in feeling less tired. It also increases energy levels. The reason behind this is that coffee contains a potent stimulant known as caffeine. In fact, coffee is the largest source of dietary caffeine. Caffeine is the most popularly consumed psychoactive product globally.
Upon drinking coffee, its caffeine content gets absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. Thereafter, it moves to the brain, whereby it blocks adenosine. Adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Once blocked, there’s an increase in neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, which leads to the excitement of neurons. As a result, the brain experiences stimulation for enhanced functionality.
Several controlled studies on human beings indicate that coffee enhances some functions of the brain such as energy levels, mental function, mood, reaction times, memory, and vigilance.
-
Assists in burning fat
Most commercial supplements for burning fat contain caffeine. Caffeine is an ingredient in these supplements for an important reason, which is being a natural fat-burning substance.
Research shows that taking caffeine can enhance the rate of metabolism by about 3 to 11 percent.
Research also shows that taking caffeine can increase the rate of burning fat by about 10 percent in obese people and 29 percent in lean individuals.
However, it’s likely that these fat-burning effects reduce in people who drink coffee for the long term.
-
Enhances physical performance
Research shows that caffeine stimulates the nervous system to activate adipocytes (fat cells). Once activated, they assist in breaking down body fat. When body fat is broken down, fatty acids are made available, thereby fueling the cells.
Caffeine also increases adrenaline (epinephrine) levels in the blood. Adrenaline is a hormone that prepares the body for physical activity.
According to existing research, caffeine can enhance physical activity by about 11 to 12 percent.
As you can see, it’ll help to take strong coffee about 30 minutes before exercising.
-
Can protect the liver
The liver carries out numerous important functions in the body. Unfortunately, there’re many common diseases that affect the liver such as fatty liver disease and hepatitis.
Most of these liver conditions can cause cirrhosis, whereby the liver gets replaced by scar tissue.
Research shows that coffee protects against cirrhosis. Individuals who take at least 4 cups of coffee daily have an 80 percent reduced risk of developing cirrhosis.
-
Offers protection against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease affects many people across the globe. It’s a neurodegenerative disease that often causes dementia. Dementia typically affects individuals over 65. Currently, there’s no cure for dementia.
Luckily, there’re certain measures you can take to prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The best preventive measures include exercising and eating healthy. Drinking coffee is also effective in preventing these health conditions.
Research shows that people who drink coffee are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease by about 65 percent.
-
Reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Today, type 2 diabetes affects millions of individuals across the world. It entails hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) as a result of reduced insulin secretion or insulin resistance.
Research shows that individuals who consume coffee regularly are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes by about 23 to 50 percent. Recent studies show that the reduced risk can be as much as 67 percent. Studies also show that a cup of fresh coffee daily reduces type 2 diabetes by about 7 percent.
-
Fights depression and makes you happier
Mental disorders, especially depression, can reduce one’s quality of life. Depression affects several people globally. For instance, approximately 4.1 percent of Americans are affected by depression.
Existing research shows that people who consume at least 4 cups of coffee daily have a 20 percent reduced risk of developing depression. Also, research shows that people who consume at least 4 cups of coffee daily are 53 percent unlikely to commit suicide. These studies prove that consuming coffee daily reduces the risk of developing depression and can reduce the risk of committing suicide.
-
Reduces the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease
Just like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease affects many people globally. It’s another common neurodegenerative disease. The condition arises when neurons in the brain that generate dopamine die.
Today, there’s no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Thus, it’ll help to focus more on prevention.
Research shows that people who drink coffee often are 32 to 60 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. Caffeine in coffee is beneficial in preventing these conditions. Research findings indicate that people who prefer taking decaf don’t enjoy a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
-
Doesn’t cause cardiovascular (heart) diseases and can reduce the risk of developing stroke
Some people claim that caffeine has the potential of increasing blood pressure. Although this claim is factual, it only increases the blood pressure by about 3 to 4 mm/Hg. Such an effect is quite small and dissipates upon taking coffee regularly.
However, the effect can linger in some individuals. Thus, anyone who has high blood pressure should avoid taking a lot of coffee.
Luckily, existing research shows that coffee doesn’t increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease as some people claim.
Some studies show that individuals who take coffee have a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Also, research findings indicate that coffee drinkers have a 20 percent reduced risk of developing stroke.
-
Rich in antioxidants
Coffee is among the healthiest sources of antioxidants. Thus, including coffee in your daily diet will give your body significant amounts of antioxidants.
Research shows that a high number of individuals get a high amount of antioxidants from regular coffee intake than eating both vegetables and fruits. Thus, coffee is among the healthiest drinks.
-
Reduces the risk of developing some cancers
Today, cancer is among the main causes of death. It’s characterized by the abnormal growth of cells in the body.
Coffee has been proven to offer some protection against colorectal and liver cancer. Essentially, liver cancer accounts for the third-highest number of cancer deaths whereas colorectal cancer accounts for the fourth-highest number of cancer deaths.
Existing research shows that people who take coffee regularly have a 40 percent reduced risk of developing liver cancer.
Research also shows that people who take coffee amounting to about 4 to 5 cups per day have a 15 percent reduced risk of developing colorectal cancer.
-
Coffee can assist in prolonging life
Since people who drink coffee often have a reduced risk of getting many kinds of diseases, it means that coffee can prolong your life. Several studies found that people who drink coffee have a reduced risk of dying.
Research findings indicate that drinking coffee reduces the likelihood of death among men by 20 percent and among women by 26 percent. The outcome is especially noticeable in individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes. One study indicates that people suffering from diabetes and drink coffee have a 30 percent reduced risk of dying.
Summing It Up
Coffee is among the most preferred beverages across the globe. It boasts of having numerous health benefits. Besides increasing energy levels, coffee assists in improving physical performance and burning fat. It also reduces the risk of developing several health conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Also, coffee can boost your longevity. In case you enjoy the taste that comes with coffee and can tolerate caffeine, then consider taking coffee daily.
Related Articles
Benefits of Coffee to Your Skin
Alkaline Coffee Health Benefits
