Newsflash: Coffee is good for you!
Call me a java junkie. I start every day with a cup of coffee and I’m not alone. 54% of Americans over 18 drink coffee every day. Coffee is the world’s most popular drink. It’s the second most highly traded commodity on earth – after oil.
What’s so great about coffee? Most people think of coffee as delicious and energizing. Let’s dig deeper and explore the many health benefits associated with coffee. If you’re not a coffee drinker, you may rethink your coffee-free existence. If you’re already a coffee fan, you will probably feel even better about your devotion to the mighty brew.
Everyone knows coffee warms you up and picks you up. That caffeine jolt can be credited with getting students through exam week and making meetings more productive. Coffee tastes great and gets you going in the morning, but what impact does it have on your health? In recent years, scientists have studied the effects of coffee. Research shows that coffee drinkers actually reap many health benefits.
Here are some amazing results:
1. Coffee can make you smarter
Coffee doesn’t just keep you awake, caffeine blocks the effects of an inhibiting neurotransmitter called adenosine. By blocking the effects of adenosine, caffeine increases neural firing in the brain.
2. Coffee can make you happy
As study conducted by the NIH found that people who drank 4 or more cups of coffee a day were 10% – 20% less likely to be depressed than those who had never touched java. Another study found that people who drank 4 or more cups per day were 53% less likely to commit suicide. The theory is that coffee makes you feel good because it contains antioxidants.
3. Coffee can make you a better athlete!
The caffeine in coffee helps you burn fat and raise your metabolic rate which improves physical performance.
4. Coffee reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes
The reduction in risk ranges from 23% – 67% People who drink several cups a day are the least likely to become diabetic.
5. Coffee lowers your risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
If you want to lower your chances of developing these common neurodegenerative disorders, drink coffee. Studies show that coffee drinkers have up to 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia and it may lower the risk of Parkinson’s by 32-60%
6. Coffee is good for your liver
What are you drinking? Studies indicate that coffee appears to be protective against certain liver disorders, lowering the risk of liver cancer by 40% and cirrhosis by as much as 80%
7. Coffee may decrease your risk of dying
Ok, you won’t live forever but you can live longer — according to the National Cancer Institute, men who drank 2 or 3 cups a day had a 10% better chance of outliving those who didn’t drink coffee. Woman had a 13% advantage. Studies found that drinking coffee was associated with a lower risk of death from all causes including certain types of cancer, heart rhythm problems and strokes.
8. Coffee is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants
Love that dirty water. Many of the nutrients in coffee beans do make it into the final drink which actually contains a decent amount of vitamins and minerals and is also the largest source of antioxidants in the modern diet outranking fruits and vegetables combined!
Numerous health studies show that coffee can: improve mood, reaction time, memory, vigilance and general cognitive function, plus provide nutrients and prevent disease. Aren’t you tempted to pour yourself a cup right now?
