Everyone knows that a cup of coffee in the morning helps to get the brain up and running. Also, scientific research has shown that there are so many health benefits of drinking coffee over our bodies. Certain components in coffee can fight against cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and more.
Coffee is a great beverage that can provide many health benefits. However, very few people understand how coffee can contribute to their health and well-being despite its popularity.
In this post, I will be sharing some of the best health benefits of coffee.
Also read: 10 Best Coffee Brands In India That Every Coffee Lover Must Try
Health benefits of drinking coffee
Coffee may help you burn fat
A recent study finds that drinking strong coffee 30 or 60 minutes before your workout can help you to burn fat. During workouts, the caffeine present in coffee increases the adrenaline levels in your blood.
Adrenaline can be helpful for your workout when heading for those last few reps in your sets – it may provide you with that last jolt of energy as you begin to tire.
So next time, before working out, try to have a cup of strong coffee to burn more fat.
Coffee helps you stay awake and energetic
Caffeine is the most widely used stimulant in the world, which speeds up the body system. In the human body, caffeine acts as a stimulant for the central nervous system.
Adenosine is a molecule responsible for your sleep and tiredness. By drinking coffee, caffeine blocks the production of adenosine in your body and makes you awake and feel more energetic. Usually, a cup of coffee shows its waking effects continuously, for about 2-4 hours.
That’s why people often use coffee on long working days to stay awake and full of energy.
Coffee is a source of powerful antioxidants
Antioxidants are the substance that protects your body from molecules called free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules produced in the body naturally, and they have the power to damage the cells in your body.
When too many free radicals are built up in your body, they can negatively affect your health by causing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. Coffee is a rich source of antioxidants, and it has the power to eliminate or neutralize the free radicals in your body.
Although free radicals can never get fully eliminated from your body, they are also important for communication between cells and their growth.
Coffee reduces the risk of cancer
Many studies claim that reducing the risk of cancer is one of the powerful benefits of drinking coffee.
The latest study shows that coffee can protect you against cancer. Yes, you read that right—a single cup of coffee a day can reduce the risk of liver cancer by 20%.
According to a study conducted by Harvard researchers, men who consume 1-3 cups of coffee daily have a 30% lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer. But caffeine isn’t the magic ingredient here.
Coffee contains more than a hundred antioxidants, and one of them is called methyl pyridinium. It supercharged the enzymes in your body and may stop colon cancer from developing.
Women who drink 4-5 cups of coffee have a much lower risk of developing an aggressive form of breast cancer.
Coffee help in preventing diabetes
If you are non-diabetic, drinking coffee can reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes in the long run. Studies observe that people who drink coffee have a nearly 40% lower risk of getting diabetes.
But if you have diabetes, you need to keep an eye on your blood pressure levels, as drinking coffee can increase your blood pressure. Make sure you don’t add too much sugar and limit your caffeine consumption.
Prevention is better than cure
Good words
Coffee is healthy for heart
According to a study published by Harvard University in 2015, a healthy heart is one of the benefits of drinking coffee.
It’s found that people who drink 3-4 cups of coffee daily were less likely to die from heart disease and stroke. The study also concluded that drinking coffee in moderation reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
But what is it about coffee that affects your heart? Coffee contains many unique phytochemicals that may help reduce inflammation, which is great for your heart.
Also, drinking coffee in moderation can reduce the risk of stroke in women in the long run.
Coffee protects against the gout
Drinking coffee is good for gout sufferers to drink a cup or two a day. A study published in Arthritis and Rheumatology proves that men over the age of 40 who drink coffee regularly had a lower risk of developing gout.
In the human body, the main reason for our development is uric acid. The antioxidant properties of coffee reduce unhealthy insulin levels. In turn, this reduces the levels of uric acid, allowing to avoid gout.
Coffee helps fighting depression
One of the best benefits of drinking coffee I found is that it helps people fight depression.
The caffeine present in coffee activates the neurotransmitter in your brain, resulting in the production of dopamine and serotonin(happy hormones). These chemicals are responsible for the pleasure system of your body.
One important thing to note here is that if you are dealing with anxiety, drinking coffee in a higher amount can worsen your anxiety.
Coffee used in the right and moderation ways can help you fight your anxiety and depression.
Coffee is good for the liver
If you have a problem with your liver, then drinking coffee is good for you. Research shows that a moderate amount, typically between 1 and 3 cups a day, may slow down the following liver disease.
- liver cancer
- cancer in the lining of the uterus known as the endometrium
- fibrosis, a disease that makes scar tissues from inside your liver
Coffee boost your immune system
Now, you already know that coffee is an abundant source of nutrients and helpful chemicals that can aid your immune system.
Coffee also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, calcium, magnesium, and potassium required ingredients for a healthy diet.
It reduces the risk of premature death as it alters your immune system by making it stronger and healthier. So overall, coffee is great at boosting your immune system.
So these were some of the best health benefits of drinking coffee. Always remember that anything excessive amount is always harmful to our body.
How can you keep your coffee consumption healthy?
Moderation is the key.
Here are some important points which you can consider for healthy consumption of coffee.
- There should be a gap of about 6 hours between your coffee intake and sleep. As coffee contains caffeine, it may interfere with your sleep. Avoiding coffee late in the day can improve your sleep.
- Caffeine is already an addictive substance. Adding sugar to your coffee can make it more addictive. Also, by adding sugar to it, you may be eliminating the health benefits of coffee.
- Drinking caffeine in moderation is the key. A normal cup of coffee contains 100mg of caffeine. According to researchers, 400mg of caffeine consumption in a day is healthy.
- If you want to add more antioxidants to your coffee and make it more healthy, try to add cinnamon to it. Studies show that cinnamon can lower blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides in people with diabetes.
FAQs
A normal single cup of coffee contains about 100mg of caffeine.
For a normal person without any disease, 4-5 cups a day is considered healthy. But if you are dealing with anxiety, high blood pressure, heart disease then drinking too much coffee may cause problems.
Yes, drinking the right amount may help you burn fat.
No, you shouldn’t drink coffee on an empty stomach. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can lead to various health issues as it has a high amount of caffeine. Caffeine is considered a drug, so ingesting a drug on an empty stomach can increase your stress levels.
According to world-leading sleep researcher Dr. Matthew Walker, caffeine stays in your body for about 24-36 hours. Consuming caffeine before sleeping can reduce your total sleep time and makes it more likely that you will wake up several times during the night.
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