It’s no exaggeration that people drink billions of cups of coffee every year. And if you’re one of those people, then you’re in luck. Research continues to show that there are potential health benefits associated with coffee.
This popular beverage offers so much more than just a quick burst of energy, so, keep reading to learn about the health benefits of coffee.
Coffee Supports Weight Loss
Caffeine consumption can help to increase an individual’s metabolic rate. This means that the caffeine in coffee can kick-start your metabolism and encourage your body to burn fat. This may be why caffeine is a popular ingredient in just about every fat-burning supplement.
But supplements don’t really taste much, and they can’t really compare to that warm, satisfying taste of coffee. The only hitch when it comes to caffeine and fat burning is that this benefit may wear off if you drink coffee over a long period of time.
Coffee, in and of itself, has practically zero calories. Therefore, it’s a beverage you can enjoy without worrying about consuming too many calories. However, one problem that occurs with coffee drinkers is that they can add lots of milk, cream, sugar, artificial sweeteners, syrups, and other flavor enhancers.
When you add these ingredients to coffee, you immediately increase the number of calories you consume. Moreover, a high sugar intake can disrupt blood sugar levels, interfere with cognitive focus, lead to inflammation, and even to unwanted weight gain.
Therefore, if you want to tap into the weight loss benefit of coffee, be sure to steer clear of sugary and milky coffee beverages. These will only set you back.
Coffee Is High in Antioxidants
According to a doctor of natural medicine, Dr. Josh Axe, coffee “contains massive amounts of antioxidants…actually one of the five highest foods in antioxidants in the world today.”
Antioxidants help to fight environmental toxins, as well as free radical damage throughout the body. Most of the health benefits of coffee can be attributed to antioxidants.
Coffee Might Protect Against Type 2 Diabetes
Researchers have found that coffee may prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. This is because coffee consumption helps increase the plasma levels for a protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG).
SHBG controls testosterone and estrogen – two hormones that are involved in the development of type 2 diabetes. It’s an inverse association, however, it is an association between coffee and lowering the risk for type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, in a four-year study published by Harvard School of Public Health, 7,269 participants were observed – all of whom had type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that if the individuals drank approximately 1.7 cups of coffee per day, it lowered their type 2 diabetes risk by 11 percent.
Coffee Could Help You Live Longer
Normally, when you discuss coffee and heart health, coffee gets a bad rap. But in 2015, the medical journal Circulation, published a study giving coffee drinkers the green light to continue drinking this favorite beverage.
They observed over 200,000 individuals and concluded that “higher consumption of total coffee, caffeinated coffee, and decaffeinated coffee was associated with lower risk of total mortality.” That is about 8 to 15 percent lower risk of mortality. We’d say this is one impressive benefit of coffee!
Coffee Supports Physical Activity
If you want to boost your fitness routine, look no further than coffee. The journal, Sports Medicine says that caffeine “could permit the athlete to train at a greater power output and /or to train longer. It has also been shown to increase speed and/or power output in stimulated race conditions.”
So, before you hit the gym, consider having a shot of espresso or a quick cup of coffee to increase performance levels and help you reach higher fitness goals.
Coffee and Liver Health
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), liver cancer “is the third leading cause of death from cancer worldwide and the ninth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.”
Fortunately, researchers in Italy have found that drinking coffee can lower the risk for liver cancer by a whopping 40 percent. And with higher coffee consumption, the risk of liver cancer was reduced by over 50 percent.
Coffee can also help protect the liver from a condition called cirrhosis. With this condition, scar tissue takes the place of healthy liver cells and ultimately damages the liver. This study concluded that components within coffee can help to protect against cirrhosis, especially in alcoholic individuals.
Coffee May Lower the Risk of Parkinson and Alzheimer’s Disease
In a study that included over 8,004 men, researchers found that “higher coffee and caffeine intake is associated with a significantly lower incidence of PD [Parkinson disease]…The data suggest that the mechanism is related to caffeine intake and not to other nutrients contained in coffee.”
More research has been conducted to study the long-term impact caffeine has on the central nervous system. And the findings “support coffee’s favorable effects against cognitive decline, dementia or AD [Alzheimer’s disease].”
Therefore, one of the benefits of coffee includes preventing a neurological breakdown with age.
Does Coffee Make You Poop?
As mentioned above, caffeine is known to increase the metabolic rate and ‘kickstart’ your metabolism.
Most coffee drinkers are probably well aware of the fact that coffee can act like a laxative and may help with constipation. Especially when drinking coffee in the morning, it may stimulate a bowel movement.
Coffee has been long known to be a natural laxative. The main reason is behind its interaction with the colon. Caffeine has been shown to activate the contraction in the colon, and therefore, you’ll get an urge to poop.
Funnily enough, even decaf coffee can help you poop, but for other reasons besides caffeine. Studies have shown that decaf coffee can still stimulate your stomach acid, which helps to digest food, but even the simple act of drinking itself already activates your body.
In any case, the habit of drinking coffee in the morning helps your digestion and may help with constipation, especially if talking about black coffee.
How Much Caffeine Should You Have in a Day?
The FDA has recommended a daily caffeine intake of no more than 400 milligrams per day, which means about four to five cups of coffee.
This may vary depending on your sensitivity to caffeine, so always listen to your body. As a general rule, having a few cups of coffee can only bring you health benefits unless you’re sensitive or already struggling with anxiety.
Though coffee may be good for you, the timing of caffeine intake matters. Since caffeine raises cortisol, it’s recommended to have your first cup of coffee about 90 minutes after waking up, not right after coming out of bed. Make sure to drink coffee after or together with a meal, not on an empty stomach.
And since caffeine is a stimulant, you shouldn’t have any coffee later in the afternoon. It takes about 4 to 6 hours to metabolize half of the caffeine, meaning you’ll still have plenty of caffeine in your system even after 6 hours.
The best caffeine intake rule to follow: have your coffee about an hour after waking up and make sure not to overdo it, no matter how tasty it may be. To conserve calories, prefer black coffee or coffee with 2% milk.
Things to Remember When Having Caffeine
After reading this article, you might want to drink lots of coffee. But there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
Coffee can do wonderful things for the body, however, many people rely on coffee too much. And it can lead to a vicious cycle.
For example, when you’re tired and stressed, you drink coffee to keep you going. But this can lead to adrenal burnout and overstimulate the body. And then, when you go without coffee, it can lead to anxiety, headaches, and focus issues.
For some people, coffee can increase feelings of anxiety, especially for people with pre-existing anxiety disorders. So, if you struggle with chronic stress, nervousness, anxiety or worry, it’s best to avoid this beverage.
The benefits of drinking coffee are vast, and if it’s a drink you already enjoy, you’re in luck. It may be supporting your body in many wonderful ways.
