Throw out everything you think you know about coffee right out the window. Why? Most of us have always been led to believe that it’s not good for you and that you shouldn’t drink much of it. But if you look into the science you’ll probably be surprised at the truth – it’s actually pretty darn healthy.
Brimming with nutrients and antioxidants, studies show that it can help you improve your overall health, reduce your risk of developing some serious diseases and even prolong your life span. Here are just a few benefits you get from drinking coffee regularly.
Caffeine – Yes There Are Benefits!
The number one thing you probably think of when you think of coffee is caffeine. While to many it’s become a long four-letter word, the truth is that there are good things about consuming caffeine.
- Once caffeine is consumed it travels to your brain.
- Once in the brain it blocks Adenosine, which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter
- Once Adenosine is blocked, other neurotransmitters increase
- Once levels of the other neurotransmitters your neurons are fired up all over the place
What does that mean? According to controlled studies, researchers say that many brain functions improve. Your mood improves, your energy levels come up, memory increases, reaction times increase and you get an overall boost in cognitive function.
Physical Performance Benefits
Coffee not only affects your mood and brain function, but also your physical performance. When you consume caffeine, your body starts breaking down fat cells into free fatty acids. This means your body can start burning up that fat as fuel for energy. In fact, caffeiene can provide an 11-12 percent increase in your physical performance (see the National Institutes of Health).
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
There are many studies that point to the possibility of reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes with caffeine. This is huge, as type 2 diabetes is a substantial health problem, affecting hundreds of millions of people.
A massive review published on JAMA Internal Medicine (formerly known as Archives of Internal Medicine) in 2009 reviewed 18 different studies relevant to coffee consumption. These studies included a staggering number of participants – over 450,000. What they found was somewhat surprising. They say that you reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by 7% with each cup of daily coffee.
Protecting Your Liver
Your liver is a vital organ, carrying out many different functions for your body. There are a number of diseases that primarly target and affect your live including fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. Previous data shows that if you drink four or more cups of coffee per day you have a substantially lower risk of developing a liver disease. This is especially true for alcoholic cirrhosis.
Blood Pressure, Heart Disease and Stroke
It’s commonly believed that drinking coffee will elevate your blood pressure. The myth of it leading to heart disease has all but been wiped out. The truth is actually the opposite. Sure, caffeine in coffee can increase your heart rate (a very small bit), but if you drink it regularly you probably won’t experience this (in some cases you can so if you DO have a history of high blood pressure talk to your doctor).
If you look at the study published on ScienceDirect then you’ll see that regular, moderate coffee consumption has actually been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease in women.