Research Shows Coffee Has 3 Health Benefits That Will Make You Want To Drink More
Most of us coffee drinkers probably know the benefits of coffee, right? Sure, there’s the flavor of a perfectly made flat white–a benefit to your grateful taste buds.
Most of us also know that coffee obviously makes us more alert, so we get off to a great start at work. To get a little scientific, a comprehensive review of around a hundred studies found that caffeine, the most active ingredient in coffee, is known to:
- Increase energy levels
- Reduce tiredness
- Help with short-term memory, problem-solving, decision-making, and concentration
What’s going on in the brain, exactly? Well, I’m no scientist, but let me pretend to be one for this article. Caffeine stops adenosine, a brain chemical that makes you sleepy and relaxed. It also boosts dopamine and norepinephrine, two other brain chemicals that help you feel more awake and energetic. According to actual scientists, this is why caffeine has the effects mentioned earlier. And why we are so very thankful for it.
But there’s more, and this is where it gets interesting.
When I scoped out the research, I was impressed by the other types of benefits coffee can give you, which most of us probably don’t know. Let me share a few that may inspire your current affection (or addiction) for coffee:
Coffee may reduce the risk of a stroke
Yep. One study published in the journal Circulation aimed to explore the possible connection between coffee intake and stroke risk among women. The researchers looked at data from more than 83,000 women. They tracked their coffee consumption habits and monitored stroke incidents over a period of time.
Researchers found that moderate coffee consumption was not linked to a higher risk of stroke among women. In fact, women who drank moderate amounts daily were found to reduce the risk of stroke by 20 percent, as compared with women who didn’t drink coffee at all! The key here was moderation; excessive coffee consumption was not found to provide any additional benefits and could actually harm one’s health.
Coffee may also cut down your risk of cancer and diabetes
The University of Catania in Italy conducted a comprehensive “superstudy” combining the results of 127 random trials and observational studies on coffee’s effects on human health.
As reported in The Washington Post, the results of this superstudy suggest that coffee consumption can lower the risk of common cancers (like breast, colorectal, colon, endometrial, and prostate) by 2 to 20 percent, depending on the type of cancer. Coffee also appears to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 5 percent and Type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease by around 30 percent. Moreover, people who drink coffee seem to have a lower death rate. Who doesn’t want to live longer?
Coffee may decrease your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease
Research has shown that coffee consumption can positively affect fat storage and gut health, which can help you lose weight. In fact, a review of 12 studies found that men who increased their coffee intake experienced a reduction in body fat. Similarly, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that women who consumed more coffee had lower levels of body fat.
And if exercising to lose weight is a problem, there’s hope. Another study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that people who have one to two cups of coffee a day are 17 percent more likely to hit their exercise goals compared with those who drink less than one cup.
That reminds me, I gotta get my third cup of coffee after sending this off to my editor. Happy drinking!
