12 Reasons Why Coffee is Good for You
Nothing works like coffee does, first thing in the morning. Coffee energizes you and prepares you to face the day. There is no reason to demonize coffee. Taken sensibly, coffee can give you great health and work to get the best out of you. And science vouches for that too!
Why is coffee healthy?
Because it is loaded with antioxidants and beneficial nutrients that can boost your health. Research has shown that coffee drinkers have lower risk for certain diseases.
- The caffeine content in coffee is a stimulant and helps increase your energy levels. When caffeine reaches the brain through your bloodstream, it blocks Adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that triggers beneficial neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine which help fire more neurons, a reason for enhanced energy levels.
- Research shows that coffee improves brain functions like memory, alertness, reaction time and overall cognitive function.
- Caffeine sends signals to the body’s fat cells to break down fat. Fat is burnt at 29% in lean individuals and at 10% in obese individuals as metabolism gets boosted by 3-11%.
- Caffeine increases epinephrine or adrenaline levels in the blood. Adrenaline, also known as the ‘fight or flight’ hormone, prepares our body for physical exertion. Simultaneously, caffeine also impels the body to break down body fat to free fatty acids and helps in making fuel available for physical exertion.
- A cup of coffee will give you Riboflavin (B2), Manganese and Potassium, Magnesium and Niacin (B3) and Pantothenic Acid (B5) in small quantities – which add up if you have three to four cups of coffee a day.
- Coffee lowers the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. On an average, a 23-50% lower risk for Type 2 diabetes has been shown in coffee drinkers.
- Research also shows that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease as well as the neurodegenerative disease, Parkinson’s.
- It has been found that coffee drinkers who consume four or more cups per day have a substantially lower risk of liver cirrhosis.
- A Harvard study has shown that women who consumed four or more cups of coffee a day had a lower risk of getting depression. Yet another study says it reduces the risk of suicide.
- Coffee drinkers have shown a lower risk for liver and colorectal cancers.
- Coffee can increase blood pressure but has been shown to lower the risk of stroke. Evidence shows that women coffee drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease as well.
- Coffee contains antioxidants, and is the single biggest source of antioxidants in the Western diet.
Given all its health benefits, coffee has been proven to lower the risk of mortality. Research has shown that diabetics too showed a lower risk of death.
How much is too much?
How exactly can we maximize the health benefits of coffee?
The caffeine content in a cup of coffee varies depending on its strength, from 50 mg to 400 mg or above. A huge cup of Starbucks Grande can give you over 300 mg of caffeine!
Ideally, an 8-ounce cup of average-strength coffee contains around 100 mg of caffeine. Studies suggest that around 400 mg of caffeine is safe for healthy adults allowing you four cups of coffee a day of average strength.
The total intake of all caffeine sources from tea, soft drinks, chocolate, some drugs as well as energy drinks should be restricted to 400 mg per day.
Taking too much of caffeine may produce restlessness, anxiety, acidity, insomnia, irritability and loss of sleep.
But smart coffee drinkers derive the best benefits from coffee.
