Most of Us Drink It – But What Are the Health Benefits of Coffee?

Coffee is a beverage that many of us can’t imagine our day without. Having a cup of this hot caffeinated drink in the morning is a daily routine for millions of people: just in the US, 64% of people report drinking a cup of coffee every day, which amounts to hundreds of millions of cups a day!

And oftentimes, we’ve been told to cut back on our coffee consumption as it’s “not good for us.” However, you will be delighted to hear that the truth is the absolute opposite! Read on to learn about the health benefits of coffee and you’ll feel even better after having your daily cup!

Provides you with antioxidants

You might be surprised to hear that coffee boasts a notable antioxidant content – perhaps even rivaling that of green tea. This means that by simply drinking quality coffee, you can get most of the antioxidants you will need to reap amazing benefits, from neutralizing harmful free radicals in your body all the way to protecting yourself from various health concerns that are going to be mentioned in more detail later on. So, pour yourself that cup of joe and arm yourself with the power of antioxidants!

Helps you wake up

Coffee can help with opening your eyes in the morning and getting ready for the day with more vigor and better mood! It can also be a helpful companion when you need to keep alert at night, when you have a hangover and similar situations. And you will be better off with a cup of coffee than with those unhealthy energy drinks!

Improves your brain functions

In addition to making you more awake, coffee actually gives a little boost to some brain functions as well which will help you work on tasks more efficiently. It makes you temporarily sharper by improving short-term memory, reaction time, problem-solving skills and so on. So, in fact, it can be said that coffee makes you smarter. Now that’s a good reason to drink it!

Gives you a productivity boost

Continuing along similar lines, in addition to sharpening your brain, coffee also gives a little push when it comes to productivity. Even at work, the presence of an office coffee machine is an instant boost both to the energy levels and the mood of the employees. In addition, thanks to the social aspect of coffee drinking, many people experience a positive, stress-relieving effect after taking that 10-minute coffee break in the community room.

Helps you lose weight and keep fit

Coffee can actually be a helpful companion if you want to shave off a few unnecessary pounds. Caffeine is known to be in every weight loss intended supplement, as it helps in burning fat in an efficient way: by turning it into fuel! But that’s not all. In addition, coffee also enhances your exercise performance by boosting your adrenaline production, and thus your athletic performance by helping you work out harder. So, drinking a bit of coffee roughly 45 minutes before you hit the gym is the best way to make the most of the push caffeine gives your body.

Keeps depression at bay

Both men and women may benefit from drinking coffee as it has been linked to lower rates of depression, thanks to the effects it has on the brain. This means that it can act as a preventative measure, as found by numerous studies across the world. Considering that depression is a widespread issue, affecting a staggering 300 million people in the world, any kind of measure against it is welcome.

Protects against cognitive decline

Besides the short-term benefits for the brain that we mentioned in the beginning, regularly drinking coffee can have long-term benefits for this organ as well. It can protect you from cognitive decline and, consequently, from serious conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, studies have found this reduced risk to be as high as 65% in people who drank 3-5 cups of coffee a day, which gives a good reason to pour yourself a cup of joe right away.

Reduces risk of certain types of cancer

Interestingly, coffee has even been associated with a lowered risk of developing certain types of cancer. Considering coffee is very good for your liver, drinking it regularly reduces your chance of developing liver cancer (and other liver diseases) considerably. Besides, men should consider having this beverage as it lowers the risk of prostate cancer, but there have been results indicating connections with endometrial, breast, rectal, as well as colon cancer too.

Lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a huge problem in the world today, affecting more and more people in recent years. The good news is that coffee can actually lower your risk of developing this disease, as numerous studies found that the more of this beverage participants drank, the lower their risk of diabetes was. Another good point for drinking coffee!

Protects you from heart disease

Finally, you will be delighted to hear that coffee is good even for your heart. Combined with other healthy habits, it can reduce your risk of developing heart disease, which is actually the leading cause of death for men.

The bottom line

As long as you keep your coffee consumption moderate, it will offer you a slew of benefits as you can see. However, be mindful that everything that is medicine in moderation can harm you if overconsumed. Caffeine can cause addiction – just like anything else, so make sure you limit your caffeine intake to 400mg a day – about 4 average cups of coffee (keep in mind though that the caffeine content of a cup of coffee varies and that you shouldn’t have 4 of those Starbucks venti macchiatos). In addition, not everyone reacts to coffee the same way. Some people may experience jitteriness because of the caffeine, in which case they should cut back on it.

In any case, coffee is our best friend and loyal companion when we need it the most, so, have you had your cup today?

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