7 Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee – Love Your Morning Cup
You probably don’t need another reason to drink coffee. Given its popularity, you almost certainly have a lot of them. It’s the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and we Americans can’t get enough of it.
The average American drinks about three cups a day. But is that enough? Maybe not. Coffee has been found to offer significant health benefits, particularly when it comes to lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer.
Reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes
One of the main benefits of coffee is that it may reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A study published in Diabetes Care found that, out of a sample of 3,249 people, those who drank four to five cups of coffee per day were at reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with the greatest protection seen in those who drank five cups per day.
Coffee not only promotes healthy blood sugar levels, it may also improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that helps your cells take in glucose from your blood. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that coffee can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 21 percent.
This reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes may be due to the fact that coffee is a natural source of certain antioxidants, such as chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid.
Help maintain and improve your heart health
According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, people who drank three to five cups of coffee per day, compared to those who drank none, had a lower risk of dying from heart disease. Another study, published in the journal Heart, found that people who consumed three to five cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of developing heart failure than those who drank less.
A 2013 meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that the risk of developing heart disease was reduced by 12 percent in people who drank two to four cups of coffee daily. This reduction in risk may be due to the fact that coffee is a natural source of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid, which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Coffee is also rich in magnesium, which has been found to reduce blood pressure, lower the risk of developing heart arrhythmia, and reduce blood cholesterol levels.
May help protect you from certain types of cancer
According to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, drinking more than three cups of coffee per day may reduce the risk of developing liver cancer. Another study found that drinking four cups of coffee per day may also reduce the risk of developing endometrial (uterine) cancer. A third study found that people who drank four cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of developing colorectal (or colon) cancer compared to those who drank no coffee or between one and two cups per day.
Coffee contains a variety of antioxidants that have been shown to have anti-cancer properties. These include chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and other antioxidants that are found in coffee beans.
Improved Brain Function
There has been a lot of research on the effects of caffeine on the brain lately, and it seems to show that coffee drinkers may have an advantage when it comes to brain health.
A study published in the journal Neuropsychology found that people who drank three cups of coffee per day performed better on a memory test than those who did not consume any coffee. Another study published in the journal of Neuropsychopharmacology found that caffeine can reduce age-related decline in brain function.
Coffee contains caffeine, which is a natural stimulant that helps increase attention and alertness. It may also enhance short-term memory and improve your ability to think quickly and clearly.
Protection Against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease
There is evidence that coffee drinking may help reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
One study found that people who drank two to three cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to those who drank less than one cup per day. Another study found that people who drank three cups of coffee per day had a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Research shows that caffeine may help protect against these diseases because it blocks the action of a chemical in the brain called adenosine, which is thought to be responsible for the onset of Parkinson’s disease.
Coffee also contains caffeine, which has been shown to lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Coffee May Cause You to Lose Weight
If you love your coffee but hate the extra calories and weight gain, don’t despair. Research shows that coffee may actually help with weight loss.
One study found that drinking two cups of coffee per day may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which is associated with weight gain. Another study found that drinking three cups of coffee per day can help reduce weight gain in people who are overweight or obese.
Coffee is rich in caffeine, which has been shown to increase metabolic rate, reduce appetite, and increase fat oxidation.
Coffee May Help Ward Off Depression
We often hear that coffee can make you feel more stressed and anxious, but it also has some positive effects on the human brain.
Coffee has been found to be associated with a reduced risk of developing depression. One study found that people who consumed two to three cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of developing depression compared to those who did not drink coffee.
A second study found that consuming four cups of coffee per day may help reduce the symptoms of depression. Coffee may have positive effects on the brain by enhancing mood, attention, and cognitive function.
Bottom line
If you are interested in the caffeine content of coffee, you may like this article: Caffeine In Espresso vs Coffee
There are many health benefits of drinking coffee, including reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as improved brain function, weight loss, and protection against depression. Given these benefits, it’s not surprising that the majority of people love their morning cup.
