Coffee is one drink that some persons avoid because all they know about it that it contains caffeine.
People will say; “it could make me stay awake unnecessarily”. But that statement locks their body away from its benefits.
I could remember my days in school, you only find coffee with mostly people who want to stay awake and read at night.
One night, my roommate who had taken coffee to stay awake to read got a load of the power of caffeine.
He sought for concentration with all his heart, yet it was so far. He laid on the bed attempting to sleep, yet sleep was far from his eyes. From one end of the bed to another, he rolled.
The overdose of coffee had kicked in with its repercussion. Seeing him go through this further put more fear of coffee in me.
This is why people describe coffee as ‘a dependable pick-me-up for students cramming for exams and anyone else who needs to stay awake’.
You may have heard things about coffee too and you kind of run away from it.
Well, you need to reconsider your decision and then see this amazing drink from a different perspective. Let me show you.
Most importantly, it does not only contain caffeine. There are antioxidants and other nutrients in it that makes it amazing for your health.
It contains diterpenes, chlorogenic acids and melanoidins.
In fact, scientific literature indicates that coffee has the highest concentration of polyphenols among the overall beverages consumed by humans (1).
There are several studies on the benefits of taking coffee.
A 2006 study says the results of epidemiological research suggest that coffee consumption may help prevent several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, Parkinson’s disease and liver disease (cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma) (2).
Health Benefits Of Coffee
Among the above benefits are others which we will list and explain here.
1. Reduces Risk Of Early Death
Also, a long-term observational study of nearly 20,000 people in Spain found that coffee intake can lower risk of early death.
In the study, the average age of participants was 37, and they were followed for about 10 years.
Within the period, 337 participants died.
However, the researchers found that participants who consumed at least four cups of coffee per day had a 64% lower risk of death than those who infrequently or never consumed coffee.
They also found a 22% lower risk of death for participants who drank two cups a day (3).
2. Inhibits Cancer Cells Growth
According to studies, coffee may affect how cancer develops. From the initiation of a cancer cell to its death, coffee could do a lot.
According to experts at the Harvard School Of Public Health, coffee may stimulate the production of bile acids and speed digestion through the colon (4).
This activity can lower the amount of carcinogens to which colon tissue is exposed.
Earlier, we highlighted that coffee is high in polyphenols. This antioxidants prevent cancer cell growth in animal studies.
Interestingly also, coffee has also been associated with decreased estrogen levels, a hormone linked to several types of cancer. It also lowers inflammation which is a risk factor for many cancers.
3. Improves Heart Health
Your heart is the engine room. It is one organ that coffee could also affect adversely if you take it without moderation.
Staying within the quantity you should take per day helps ensure you reap the health benefits.
We have information at the lower part of this article about the quantity studies recommend.
For the heart, a study by Dr. Judit Simon, of the Heart and Vascular Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary has a lot.
He says up to three cups per day could lower risk of stroke and fatal heart disease.
“Our results suggest that regular coffee consumption is safe, as even high daily intake was not associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality after a follow-up of 10 to 15 years,” Dr. Simon said.
Also, the study adds that “0.5 to 3 cups of coffee per day was independently associated with lower risks of stroke, death from cardiovascular disease, and death from any cause” (5).
4. May Prevent Formation Of Gallstones
According to a study, caffeine is able to prevent cholesterol from forming into crystals in the gallbladder. Basically, the most common type of gallstone is made of cholesterol.
Furthermore, caffeine may stimulate contractions in the gallbladder and increase the flow of bile so that cholesterol does not collect (6).
The study says men who consistently drank coffee were significantly less likely to develop gallstones compared to men who did not.
Also, another study says consumption of caffeinated coffee may play a role in the prevention of symptomatic gallstone disease in women (7).
5. Coffee Lowers Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
We know that this amazing drink contains polyphenols and other minerals such as magnesium.
Interestingly, these antioxidants and minerals help improve the effectiveness of insulin and glucose metabolism in the body.
In 2014, researchers at Harvard tracked over 100,000 people for about 20 years.
Their concentration was on a four-year period and their findings were amazing.
According to the study, people who increased their coffee intake by over one cup per day had an 11% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
However, people who reduced their coffee intake by one cup per day increased their risk of developing diabetes by 17% (8).
6. Could Help You Lose Weight
If you are finding it hard to lose weight, you may consider adding coffee to your diet.
Basically, when you do, coffee is able to reduce your appetite for food while keeping you full.
According to a 2019 study, caffeine intake might promote weight, BMI and body fat reduction (9).
7. Coffee Could Help Fight Depression
Also, if a person is slipping into depression, few cups of this amazing drink could be a good thing to add to diet.
Experts say the polyphenols in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee can act as antioxidants to reduce damaging oxidative stress and inflammation of cells (10).
Also, when taken, it may may have neurological benefits in some people and act as an antidepressant.
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Earlier, we found that caffeine may affect mental states such as increasing alertness and attention, reducing anxiety, and improving mood.
This further points to the benefit of this drink as antidepressant.
8. Lowers Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease As You Age
Unfortunately, for some persons, old age comes with its own diseases and one of such is Alzheimer’s disease.
But in a CAIDE (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia) study, researchers found that drinking 3-5 cups of coffee a day at midlife (mean age 50 years) was associated with a significantly decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life compared with low coffee drinkers after 21 years of follow-up.
How Much Coffee Should I Drink Per Day?
Indeed, from study to study, researchers recommend a maximum of 3 to 4 cups of coffee daily.
This quantity provides 300–400 mg/d of caffeine.
Furthermore, experts recommend that 1 to 2 tablespoon should be added to 6 ounce of water (177mil of water).
Meanwhile, a study says moderate caffeine intake of less than 6 cups of coffee per day has been associated with a lower risk of depression and suicide.
However in a few cases of sensitive individuals, higher amounts of caffeine may increase anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia. This is the kind my roommate experienced.
Also note that you should observe your body to see if you have this negative reactions to the caffeine.
If you decide to stop taking coffee, it is not out of place to notice headache, fatigue, anxiety, and low mood for a few days. This may also persist for up to a week.
If you find this helpful, kindly share with your friends and loved ones. They need to know how they can benefit from taking coffee.