When you wake up in the morning feeling groggy and tired, coffee can be just what you need to wake up. It can give you energy and clear your mind so you can focus and get things done. While you know you can rely on a cup o’ joe to perk you up, do you know the other benefits of drinking it? You might be surprised to learn some of the unique benefits of drinking coffee that most people aren’t aware of!
1. Longer Life – A recent study done by the National Cancer Institute found that individuals who drink coffee on a regular basis are likely to live longer than those who don’t. The study was done with 400,000 people of all ages who drank both regular and decaf, depending on their preference. Although the reasoning behind this still isn’t clear, many scientists think it’s due to the many antioxidants that are naturally found in coffee.
Another reason why coffee may result in a longer life is because it can help get rid of bad habits that most people have. For example, drinking a cup of coffee throughout the day can easily replace the act of picking up a cigarette and smoking. Coffee can also reduce unhealthy snacking and promote exercise for those who drink it regularly. All of these things can contribute to a longer life just from sipping your favorite beverage each day!
2. Disease Prevention – In a study done by Harvard, researchers found that drinking one to three cups of coffee per day can benefit the health dramatically. For example, consuming one to three cups per day can reduce your risk of diabetes. In addition to this, drinking six or more cups per day can even further decrease that risk. This study also showed that the development of Parkinson’s disease could be decreased by 80% and risk of colon cancer could be decreased by 25% for coffee drinkers. The Journal of Nutrition also did research that showed women who consumed four or more cups of coffee per day could decrease their chances of developing breast cancer by 40%.
3. Working Out – Before you exercise at the gym or at home, you might want to consider drinking a cup of your favorite brew. After you drink your coffee, it will release endorphins in your body within only a few minutes. Once these are released, you will be in a better mood and actually feel like you want to exercise! Endorphins will increase your performance and can also help you workout longer and harder. The caffeine in the coffee will also give you an energy boost that doesn’t result in you crashing later on. If you want to have better performance when you’re exercising, a cup of coffee can definitely help you out.
4. Cognitive Function - Do you sometimes have a cloudy mind and can’t quite figure out what to do or say? This can be stressful whether you’re at work or trying to get things done at home. Drinking coffee on a regular basis can actually help you get over these mental problems and increase your cognitive abilities. Researchers in California performed short term memory tests, cognitive ability tests and awareness tests for individuals before and after they drank coffee on a regular basis. The results showed that individuals, specifically women in their senior years, benefited from regular coffee drinking. It helped improve their thinking abilities so they were better at problem solving and daily tasks.
One theory of why this works is because the caffeine in coffee prevents plaque buildup of beta-amyloid. When this plaque is reduced, the brain can function more smoothly and things like Alzheimer’s disease may even be prevented. There are many other theories out there as to why coffee boosts cognitive function. These theories differ based on the study and the science that is used.
5. Stroke - A 2009 study done by the Department of Family Medicine in Seoul, Korea, found that chances of stroke could be reduced by drinking more than one coffee beverage per day. The risk of stroke decreased by 25% for the women who were in this study. Another study done in Finland with male participants showed that their risk of stroke was reduced by 12% when they drank more than 4 cups of coffee on a daily basis.
6. Better Health - There are more than 1,000 antioxidants inside of that cup of coffee you enjoy drinking so much. These antioxidants can benefit your health in numerous ways. For example, they can reduce inflammation caused by arthritis and even get rid of toxins that cause certain types of cancer. The antioxidants will also neutralize free radicals that can cause you to gain weight or have certain health issues. With more antioxidants active in your body you will feel better on the inside and look better on the outside.
7. Gout - Gout is extremely painful and can occur in people of all ages. Since it affects joints, it can result in not being able to walk or even move for long periods of time. The worst part about this is that it can be difficult to get rid of if you don’t have the right treatments with you. What’s the good news for individuals who suffer from gout?
Regular consumption of coffee can ward off that pain and soothe this condition! The Nurses’ Health study examined female nurses over the course of 26 years. The results showed that women who regularly drank four or more cups of coffee each day decreased their risk of developing gout. This is due to the antioxidants in coffee reducing insulin in the body. When the insulin is reduced it will get rid of high uric acid levels, which are what cause gout for most people.
If you’re looking for a little more reasoning behind your morning, afternoon, evening or whenever-you-want cup of coffee; you’ve got it! These are just seven of the many health benefits of drinking this beverage on a regular basis. The only thing you should watch out for is calories from milk, sugar and other sweet toppings. Although these are sweet, they can counter all the wonderful health benefits of the coffee.
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