The Proven Benefits Of Coffee And Why It Can Be Good For You
Whether you are a coffee drinker or not, you are going to want to read this! The evidence is in and the benefits of this rich elixir are clear. America's favorite hot beverage is part of a healthy diet. There is a body of evidence concluding our coffee habits could actually be impacting our health… for the better!
Grab a cup of coffee and keep reading to learn all of the amazing health benefits to expect from a fresh brew.
Boosts Your Energy
Coffee contains caffeine, which is a stimulant. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine molecules from attaching to their receptors in the brain. Otherwise, adenosine binding to its receptor makes you feel sleepy.
Coffee can perk you up or keep you awake. This burst of energy often improves mood and creates feelings of well-being. Only minutes after drinking this hot beverage, you will notice a bounce in your step.
Improves Your Diet
Coffee is filled with essential nutrients, including: vitamins B2, B3, and B5; manganese, magnesium, and potassium. Our body does not make these, so we have to get them from our diet. Coffee is a source as well as a great tasting beverage.
Coffee is also loaded with antioxidants. Evidence reveals we get more antioxidants from coffee than from fruits and vegetables combined. Since we rarely go to broccoli shops or grab a cup of spinach on the way to work, it is clear coffee is the preferred source of antioxidants in our culture.
Makes Exercise Seem Easier
Studies have revealed exercisers not only have greater endurance after drinking coffee they also don’t perceive they are exerting themselves as much. It feels like they are doing less when they are actually doing more.
Coffee does this by increasing the levels of epinephrine (a.k.a. adrenaline). This hormone helps prepare the body for action. The caffeine in coffee also promotes the use of body fat to be used during exercise which is great news for those trying to lose weight.
Decreases Risk Of Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a disease characterized by high blood sugar, low insulin levels, and/or insulin resistance. It affects hundreds of millions of people all over the world. Research has found there is a relationship between coffee and diabetes.
Coffee drinkers have as much as a 50% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non-coffee drinkers. Although it is not a cure or a treatment, coffee drinkers are doing something right. Studies indicate that With every cup of coffee consumed each day, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes decreases by about 7%.
Decreases Risk Of Many Health Conditions
Diabetes is not the only condition that has an inverse relationship with coffee. Drinking 4 or more cups of coffee per day is associated with a 20% lower risk of developing depression. Daily coffee consumption is associated with an 80% lower risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver.
Coffee drinkers appear to have a better mental health prognosis. With up to a 60% reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. It is thought that the caffeine in the coffee brings about these benefits. Drinking coffee has been associated with lower rates of liver cancer, while drinking 4 to 5 cups per day reduced the risk of colorectal cancer by 15%.