Learn about the potential health benefits of coffee in this article, including heart disease protection and slowing down dementia.
Your daily cup of coffee may be doing more for you than providing that early-morning pick-me-up. The health benefits of coffee impact has long been a controversial topic, with advocates touting its antioxidant activity and brain-boosting ability, and detractors detailing downsides such as insomnia, indigestion and an increased heart rate and blood pressure.
One of the best benefits of coffee is that it enhances your physical performance.
Have a cup of black coffee about one hour before workout and your performance can improve by 9-12%. Caffeine increases adrenaline levels in your blood. Adrenaline is your body’s “fight or flight” hormone which helps you to get ready for physical exertion (work).
Coffee may help you lose weight. Coffee contains potassium and magnesium, which helps the human body use insulin, regulating blood sugar levels and reducing your craving for sugary treats and snacks.
Coffee helps you burn fat:
Coffee helps fat cells break down body fat and use it as fuel for training or in physical exertion.
Coffee helps you focus and stay alert:
Moderate caffeine intake, 1-4 cups a day, helps you focus and improves your mental health (functioning).
Coffee lowers risk of death:
It has been seen that coffee drinker’s overall risk of premature death is 30% lower than of those who don’t drink coffee.
Also Read: Tackling High Blood Pressure
Coffee reduces risk of cancers:
It is seen that coffee may decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer in men by 15 %, and endometrial cancer in women by 22 %. People in the test group drank 3 cups of coffee a day. Caffeine may also prevent developing of basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of cancer is skin cancer.
Coffee reduces risk of stroke:
Reasonable consumption of coffee (1–3 cups a day) is associated with lower threat of stroke.
Coffee reduces risk of Parkinson’s disease:
It is seen that regular coffee drinking decreases risk of Parkinson’s disease by 25%. There’s evidence that coffee causes activity in the part of the brain affected by Parkinson’s.
Coffee protects your body:
Coffee actively contains a lot of antioxidants that work as little warriors fighting and protecting against free radicals within your body.
Coffee may lower risk of Type II diabetes:
Caffeine decreases your insulin sensitivity and impairs glucose tolerance, therefore reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Coffee protects your brain:
High caffeine levels in your blood reduce the risk of Alzheimer disease. It also lowers risk of dementia.
Coffee brightens your mood:
Helps fight against depression and lowers risk (thoughts) of suicide. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and boosts production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, which elevate your mood. 2 cups of coffee a day prevents risk of suicide by 50 %.
Also Read: The health benefits of water
Risk & Precautions:
Drinking too much coffee can result in some very unpleasant adverse effects. Caffeine can cause anxiety symptoms in normal individuals, especially in vulnerable patients, like those with pre-existing anxiety disorders.
In addition, “caffeine use is also associated with symptoms of depression due to either a self-medication theory, or a theory that caffeine itself causes changes in mood.”
Women who plan on becoming pregnant should be cautious.
Conclusion:
There are several coffee health benefits as mentioned above but do not forget to stay healthy, don’t consume anything in access whether its coffee or green vegetables.
