Coffee is undoubtedly one of the most loved and consumed beverages in India. With high levels of antioxidants and beneficial nutrients, it is quite healthy as well. Studies say that coffee drinkers possess a much lower risk of several serious diseases. Freshly brewn coffee, slowly sipped from an insulated tumbler, is an excellent way to begin your day, as caffeine levels will boost your energy levels and mood.
However, coffee is not great for all. People with arrhythmia, high blood pressure and other health conditions should stick with moderate consumption to avoid spiking up heart rate. You can make a huge quantity during the day and store it in an insulated flask or tumbler and carry it to work, or anywhere you go.
Here are few benefits of coffee you should know.
1. Improves Energy Levels and Makes You Smarter
Coffee helps people feel less tired, increasing their energy levels. This is because it has a stimulant called caffeine, the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world. The caffeine is absorbed into your bloodstream after you drink coffee. From the bloodstream, it travels to your brain. Caffeine blocks the inhibitory neurotransmitter adenosine in the brain. When this happens, the number of other neurotransmitters, namely dopamine and norepinephrine, increases, leading to the magnified firing of neurons. A lot of controlled studies in humans show that coffee improves various brain functioning aspects like memory, vigilance, mood, energy levels, reaction times, and general mental function.
2. Helps You Burn Fat
Caffeine is known to be found in almost every commercial fat-burning supplement, and for a good reason. It is one of the few proven natural substances that aid fat burning. A couple of studies show that caffeine can boost your metabolic rate by almost 3–11%. Other studies indicate that caffeine can specifically heighten fat burning by almost 10% in obese individuals and 29% in lean people.
3. Might Improve Physical Performance
Caffeine excites the nervous system, signaling fat cells to break down body fat. Meanwhile, it also increases epinephrine (adrenaline) levels in your blood, a fight-or-flight hormone, which prepares your body for high physical exertion. Caffeine allows the free fatty acids to be available as fuel. This is the reason caffeine can improve physical performance by almost 11–12%, on average. Hence, it would be a great idea to have a hot cup of coffee half an hour before heading to the gym.
4. Contains Essential Nutrients
The majority of the nutrients in coffee beans make it to the final stage of brewed coffee. One cup of coffee approximately contains; Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), which is 6% of the RDI and 11% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI). Manganese and potassium, which is 3% of the RDI. Magnesium and niacin (vitamin B3) which is 2% of the RDI. This might not look like a big deal, but when people enjoy several cups a day, they allow these amounts to quickly add up.
5. Might Lower The Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a huge health problem, currently affecting millions of people in the world. It is characterized by heightened blood sugar levels caused by insulin resistance or the reduced ability to flush out insulin. For some reason, coffee drinkers have a notably reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Studies observe that people who drink a lot of coffee have a 23–50% lower risk of contracting this disease. One study showed a reduction of as much as 67%.
6. Might Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
Alzheimer’s disease is possibly the most common neurodegenerative disease and the main cause of dementia all over the world. This condition usually develops in people over 65, and there is no known cure yet. However, there are several things you can do to prevent this health issue in the first place. This also includes the usual to-dos like eating healthy and exercising, but drinking coffee could be incredibly effective as well. Several studies have shown that coffee drinkers show up to a 65% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
7. May Lower Your Risk of Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s disease is the 2nd most common neurodegenerative condition after Alzheimer’s. It is caused by the death of dopamine-generating neurons in the brain. There is no known cure, which makes it more important to focus on prevention. Studies have shown that coffee drinkers have quite a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, with a risk reduction ranging from 32–60%. In this case, the caffeine itself seems to be beneficial, as people who drink decaf do not have a risk of Parkinson’s.
8. Can Fight Depression and Make You Happier
Depression is a serious mental disorder that causes a significantly reduced quality of life. It’s very common, as about 4.1% of people in the US currently meet the criteria for clinical depression. In a Harvard study published in 2011, women who drank 4 or more cups of coffee per day had a 20% lower risk of becoming depressed. Another study in 208,424 individuals found that those who drank 4 or more cups per day were 53% less likely to die by suicide.
9. May Lower Risk of Certain Types of Cancer
Cancer is sadly one of the world’s top causes of death. It is defined as the uncontrolled cell growth in your body. Coffee appears to be protective against two kinds of cancer, namely liver cancer and colorectal cancer. Liver cancer is the 3rd leading cause of cancer deaths in the world, and colorectal cancer comes 4th. Studies have indicated that coffee drinkers may have up to a 40% lower risk of liver cancer. Similarly, a study in 489,706 people found that people who drank 4–5 cups of coffee a day had about 15% lower risk of colorectal cancer.
10. May Help You Live Longer
Given that coffee drinkers are not very likely to get a lot of diseases, it might as well say that coffee could help you live longer. Plenty of observational studies have indicated that coffee drinkers have a low risk of death. In two large studies, drinking coffee was associated with a 20% reduced risk of death in men and a 26% decreased risk of death in women between the age of 18–24 years. This effect particularly appears strong in people with type 2 diabetes.
Conclusion
Coffee is an extremely popular drink because of its taste, properties and impressive health benefits. It does not only help you feel more energized, burn fat and improve physical performance, it might also lower the risk of several conditions like cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Coffee might even boost longevity. To enjoy full benefits of coffee, you might want to avoid sweeteners. If you have a love for coffee and can tolerate the high caffeine content, make sure you pour yourself a cup or more every day.