I love coffee. It’s no secret. As a mom, I need coffee! But it makes me feel so much better to know that coffee helps me be a little bit healthier, too. Do you want to know the health benefits of coffee? I’ll be happy to share it.
I love coffee so much that I can’t eat my breakfast until I have it. Some would say that I am addicted but it is just something I love to have in the morning. Did you know that coffee is the second most consumed beverage besides water in the world and I love water so why not drink both?
I was surprised to find out there are only 2 calories per 8 ounces (in black coffee with no sugar or creamer in it). You defiantly don’t have to worry about coffee making you gain weight. But besides that, there are real health benefits you should know about and I plan to share.
Higher Energy Levels
Coffee makes you feel energized and you can thank the caffeine. Caffeine is a mild stimulant that speeds up the messages between our brain and body. I am currently on my first cup and can already feel the effects while I write this article. Normally, you start to feel it within the first 10-20 minutes of drinking coffee but it can last up to 12 hours.
Be sure that you don’t go over board with the caffeine. The average adult that has a healthy diet and exercises should only consume 400 milligrams of caffeine per day to be considered safe. So this would be 37.6 ounces of regular drip coffee.
Moderation is the key.
Coffee Burns Fat
Researchers did a study with 126 overweight men and found that those who had 4 cups of coffee per day had a 4% drop in body fat over six months.
This is because it helps burn the brown adipose tissue that is the fat tissue responsible for keeping you warm because it generates heat. Because of this, it also burns calories and increases your metabolism. Just think of what a healthy diet and exercise combined with the coffee could do.
Coffee Makes You Smarter
Is Coffee an Intelligence Booster?
Well, not really but it does increase your mental focus and makes you more alert which in my opinion can make you more productive. Being more productive can make you smarter if you are using this time to learn new things. (see how that works, wink wink.)
Performance Enhancer
Coffee that is caffeinated will prolong your physical performance by increasing energy and making you think clearer. It also stimulates your body to use stored fat for energy instead of breaking down muscle for energy. This is why coffee as a performance supplement is so widely used.
Increases Mood
For many years, scientists have said that dopamine is released when we drink coffee, Dopamine is a euphoria producing neurotransmitter that produces that happy feeling when you have that first cup of coffee in the morning.
This is where the phrase “but first coffee” comes from. My kids are well aware of the fact that coffee must take place first before mom can do anything in the morning, lol.
According to a study by the National Institute of Health, people who consumed at least four cups of coffee per day showed a lower risk of depression than people who drank less than one cup of coffee per day.
Lowers Cancer Risk
Because of all the naturally occurring antioxidants in coffee, it can lower your risk for cancer according to the American Cancer Society. You must be sure that you live a healthy lifestyle if you want to reduce your cancer risk. You can also eat veggies that are high in antioxidants as well to help .
Experts don’t know exactly how to explain it but they believe coffee contains hundreds of active compounds that have been shown in the lab to have anti-cancer effects.
I say, as long as you don’t over do it, a few cups of coffee per day can’t hurt.
Coffee Stops a Headache
An 8 ounce cup of drip coffee contains 85 milligrams of caffeine which is slightly lower than the average dose of pain reliever which has 120 milligrams.
They studied this and found that it provides more relief than the placebo and as much relief as acetaminophen.
Coffee Contains Nutrients
Coffee has been shown to contain more antioxidants than both green tea and cocoa which are both on the higher side in terms of antioxidant potential. Apparently, coffee is where Americans get the majority of their antioxidants. Good thing I drink it.
One cup of joe contains Vitamin B2, B3, B5 and potassium.
Magnesium is also found in coffee which decreases your risk for type 2 diabetes.
Decreases Diabetes Risk
The Harvard School of Public Health says that people who increased their coffee consumption more than one cup per day over a four year period have an 11% lower risk for type 2 diabetes. They also said that those who decreased their coffee intake by more than one cup per day increased their risk by 17%.
Helps your Teeth
Can coffee help your teeth? Coffee contains an ingredient called trigonelline, which is a compound that has antimicrobial properties (it also gives off the recognizable smell of coffee). This of course is from drinking coffee with no sweeteners added unless you use Xylitol which is a sugar alcohol that has been shown to reduces caries risk as well.
Decreases Dementia
Most all the studies done say that drinking coffee reduces your risk for Alzheimers and dementia. It is shown to prevent the build up of beta-amyloid which is thought to be the main cause of Alzheimer’s. The antioxidants in coffee also reduce inflammation and protect your brain from decline as we age.
Liver Protection
Caffeine helps slow the growth of scar tissue that is involved in liver fibrosis. It has also been shown to have protective effects and can even slow the progression of liver disease.
Lowers Stroke Risk
The NIH studied the effects of caffeine and stroke risk and concluded that consuming 4 cups of coffee or more per day has a preventative effect on stroke risk.
Lowers Parkinsons Risk
Researchers think that a compound found in coffee beans has a protective effect to those who are genetically predisposed to developing Parkinsons. They also believe it helps control movement in people with Parkinsons.
Live Longer
If coffee reduces cancer risk, lowers stroke risk, decreases your chances of developing certain diseases than it has to help you live longer. There are so many health benefits of coffee. Anything that has this many benefits will help you live a longer, happier, healthier life.
So in conclusion, if you decide to drink coffee due to its health benefits, be sure you do it in moderation and also combine it with an overall healthy lifestyle.
Keep reading this blog to find out what coffee drink you prefer and start making great coffee right now.
Want to know if coffee is acidic? Find out here.
