1. Coffee is a powerful antioxidant.
Coffee has more antioxidants than cocoa and green tea. Scientists have discovered around 1,000 antioxidants found in unprocessed coffee beans. Hundreds of others are created in the process of roasting. Numerous studies have identified coffee as an important -and in some instances, the main source of antioxidants in the diet of its users.
How they work: Antioxidants reduce inflammation, which is the root reason for many chronic illnesses such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, and various kinds of cancer. Additionally, they neutralize free radicals that are naturally occurring as a part of the metabolic process that we all perform; however, they can trigger the oxidative stress that causes chronic diseases. The idea is that antioxidants keep us in good health at the micro-level by defending our cells against injury. In addition, chlorogenic acid, an important antioxidant found mostly in coffee, is believed to help prevent cardiovascular diseases.
2. Caffeine enhances short-term memory.
A group of participants received 100 milligrams (mg) of caffeine. Roughly the amount is contained in a single cup of Austrian coffee research found a rise in brain activity, as measured using functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) when they completed a memory test. Researchers noted that the caffeinated participants’ speed of recall and reaction time also enhanced when compared with the group given a placebo and showed no changes in brain activities.
What it does: Caffeine appears to affect those parts of your brain that are involved in concentration and memory, increasing short-term memory. However, it’s unclear how long the effects last or how it varies from person to person.
3. Cognitive decline may be slowed by coffee consumption.
Additionally, it provides an occasional boost to memory and brain activity. Regular consumption of coffee can aid in preventing cognitive decline that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. In a recent Finnish research study, scientists discovered that drinking 3 to 5 cups of coffee every day in the mid-point of life was linked to a 65 percent lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s in later years. Incredibly, the study’s authors also assessed the effect of tea consumption on cognitive loss and did not find any correlation.
How does it work: There are a variety of theories on how coffee can aid in preventing or defending from cognitive loss. One hypothesis is that caffeine reduces the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques, which could factor in the onset or progress of Alzheimer’s. Researchers have also proposed that caffeine consumption is associated with a reduced chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes, a known risk factor for dementia. It may also reduce the risk of developing dementia.
4. Your heart will thank you for drinking coffee.
A significant Dutch study that examined information from over 37,000 individuals in a span of over 13 years discovered moderate-level coffee drinkers (who consume between two and four cups per day) had an 80% lower risk of suffering from heart disease when compared with light or heavy coffee drinkers and non-drinkers.
How does it work: How does it work? Evidence suggests that coffee can help improve heart health by preventing inflammation-related damage to the arteries.
5. The consumption of coffee may help prevent certain cancers.
People who drink coffee could have a lower chance of developing aggressive prostate cancer. Furthermore, new research by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health indicates that drinking more than four cups of coffee a day reduced the chance of developing endometrial cancer for women by 25 percent compared to women who only consumed one cup daily. Researchers have also discovered ties between drinking regular coffee and a lower risk of colon, liver, and breast cancers.
How they work: What it does: Polyphenols are antioxidant phytochemicals in the coffee plant, have been shown to possess anticarcinogenic properties in a variety of studies. They are believed to help in reducing inflammation which may be the cause of certain tumours.
6. Type 2 diabetes may be decreased by drinking coffee.
A growing body of research suggests a connection between drinking coffee and a decreased risk of developing diabetes. A study from 2009 found that the chance of developing diabetes fell by 7 percent per cup you drink. Studies on epidemiology have shown that those who drink a lot of coffee (those who drink at least four cups a day) were at an 80% lower chance of being diagnosed with diabetes than those who drink light or non-drinkers.
What it does: Scientists believe that coffee can aid in keeping the disease at bay in various methods:
- In helping our bodies to use insulin and defending insulin-producing cells, helping to regulate blood sugar levels.
- Stopping tissue damage.
- Fighting inflammation, which is a recognized risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. One ingredient in coffee known as caffeic acid was particularly effective in decreasing the toxic accumulation of abnormal proteins (amyloid fibrils), common in those with Type 2 Diabetes.
Note: There’s some evidence suggesting that coffee reduces the muscle cell’s sensitivity to insulin’s effects, which could hinder sugar metabolism and elevate blood sugar levels. This discovery, however, remains undetermined.
7. Your liver enjoys coffee.
The truth is that in addition to reducing the risk of getting liver cancer, drinking coffee is associated with lower rates of cirrhosis. This is especially true for alcoholic cirrhosis. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine demonstrated an inverted correlation between higher drinking of espresso and lower risk of developing cirrhosis 20% less risk for every cup of coffee consumed (up to 4 cups).
What happens: Scientists discovered an inverted relationship between coffee consumption and liver enzymes. The elevated concentrations of the enzymes produced by the liver are generally a sign of irritation and harm to the liver. The more coffee drinkers, the less they had amounts of enzymes.
8. Increases exercise performance.
We’ve been taught that caffeine dehydrates as one of the primary reasons fitness experts suggest not drinking coffee before and after a workout. But recent research indicates that moderate consumption of 500 mg, which is about five cups a day, isn’t enough to dehydrate workouts to affect their exercise. Coffee also helps combat fatigue, which allows you to work out longer.
What does it do: Caffeine enhances endurance and performance; It not only fights fatigue but also increases muscle contraction, lessens the perceived pain of the exerciser, and enhances the level of blood levels of fatty acids, which aid in endurance.
9. Cures depression.
Numerous studies have linked drinking coffee with lower rates of depression among both women and men. In several studies, findings suggested an opposite relationship between the consumption of coffee and depression. In other words, the heavy coffee drinkers had the most probability (up to around 20 percent) of suffering from depression.
What happens: Researchers aren’t quite certain of the way coffee can help fight depression. However, it is well-known that caffeine stimulates neurotransmitters that influence moods, such as serotonin and dopamine.
10. Protective shield against gout.
Numerous studies of the habits of coffee drinkers of both genders suggest that drinking coffee regularly lowers the chance of developing Gout. Researchers from the Nurses’ Health Study examined health habits for nearly 90% of female nurses for 26 years. They discovered an association between long-term drinking of coffee and a lower chance of developing Gout. The benefits were associated with regular and decaf coffee consumption.
– For women
Women who consumed over four cups or more of normal coffee a day experienced a 57 percent decrease in the risk of developing Gout. Gout risk dropped by 22 percent among women who consumed between 3 and 1 cup daily, and 1 cup of decaf coffee per daily was associated with a 23 percent less risk of developing Gout than women who did not drink any coffee in any way.
– For men
Similar findings have been reported for males: a different large-scale study published by the Journal of Arthritis and Rheumatism revealed that males who consumed four to five cups of tea each day reduced their chance of developing Gout by 40 percent.
The study also found those who drank six or more cups of coffee lowered the risk of developing Gout by 60 percent.
What does it do: According to the Nurses’ Health Study, coffee’s antioxidants can reduce the risk of Gout through decreasing insulin levels, which can lower the levels of uric acid (high levels of uric acids can trigger Gout).
