Science Reveals the Truth about Coffee
 

 

Coffee drinkers, rejoice! A study published in The BMJ recently found that coffee isn’t bad for your health as so many health-conscious people will tell you. In fact, it might actually be good for you! But don’t run out and down 10 cups of coffee just yet — there are some caveats. Coffee contains caffeine, which definitely can have some negative effects on your body if consumed in excess, but this study suggests that the positives of coffee outweigh the negatives by far when it comes to your health.

10 Benefits of Drinking Coffee

As long as you don’t add sugar or cream, coffee has no calories and it can actually be good for you. Researchers have found that drinking one to three cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and early death. Drinking more than three cups didn’t seem to offer additional benefits. So if you like coffee and it doesn’t give you jitters or make your heart race, there’s no reason not to enjoy it. And if you enjoy coffee but feel guilty because of all those empty calories (it is a source of caffeine after all), try switching from brewed coffee to decaf so at least it doesn’t cause any damage. But drink up! There are plenty of other health reasons to start sipping on some joe today. Here are 10 benefits of drinking coffee

1.      Improves Mood

It's no secret that coffee makes us feel great, but it can actually have an impact on our health in more ways than one. Studies suggest drinking three cups of coffee a day can help ward off depression and improve overall mood. For example, a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine revealed that people who drank two to four cups of caffeinated coffee daily were less likely to experience depression symptoms than those who didn't drink any at all. You can also save money by reducing your demand for sugary snacks; when you're feeling tired or blue, we bet you crave something sweet to perk you up. But with some caffeine coursing through your veins, your cravings for sugar may subside and ultimately save you from eating more calories than you need.

2.      Protects Against Type 2 Diabetes

One of coffee’s biggest benefits is its ability to stave off type 2 diabetes. Drinking up to 4 cups a day was shown to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by 31% in one study, while another found similar results: coffee drinkers were 15% less likely to get diabetes than those who didn’t drink coffee. Scientists believe that drinking coffee affects how sensitive our bodies are to insulin and how it metabolizes sugar. Several studies suggest that drinking 3-5 cups of coffee a day could help keep your insulin levels steady; however, other data shows that higher intakes may actually increase insulin resistance. So, if you suffer from prediabetes or have a family history of diabetes, moderate intake is key when it comes to caffeine consumption. But, as always, talk with your doctor before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.

3.       Protects Against Liver Damage

People who drink coffee regularly have lower risks of developing liver cirrhosis, according to new research. It’s believed that chemicals in coffee help neutralize cell-damaging free radicals and improve liver function, which may protect against cancer in that area. People who drink one or two cups per day have a 65 percent lower risk of cirrhosis compared to those who don’t drink any coffee, while people with three or more cups per day were 88 percent less likely to develop it. This is true even if you consume decaf—but caffeine (in small amounts) has been found to be beneficial as well. Drinking four cups of coffee daily also improves insulin sensitivity and lowers your risk for type 2 diabetes by as much as 20 percent! You can start drinking coffee today, but remember: moderation is key. Most experts recommend no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day, which translates to about four 8-ounce cups of brewed coffee or five 8-ounce mugs of instant coffee. There are many other ways to enjoy caffeinated beverages such as tea and soda—which should also be limited to just one cup per day for adults—without having to worry about going overboard on their health benefits! The bottom line: Go ahead and enjoy your morning cup(s) of joe; just make sure they're not consumed at night.

4.      Lowers Risk of Depression

Several studies have indicated that drinking coffee may help lower your risk of depression. The best coffee to boost mood is likely decaf coffee; in one study, people who drank 4 cups of caffeinated coffee were more likely to be depressed than those who drank 4 cups of decaf. The exact reason why isn’t clear, but it’s probably because caffeine has a similar chemical structure to adenosine (aka, a sleepy molecule). By blocking adenosine, caffeine might remove some natural drowsiness—possibly making you feel jittery at first, but ultimately improving your mood by keeping you alert and awake. However, it’s important to note that these are just correlation studies and aren't necessarily proof that coffee directly lowers your risk of depression. Still, given how many people drink coffee every day, it's certainly worth investigating further.

5.      Caffeine provides a short-term memory boost

Caffeine’s effect on alertness is well documented, but studies show that it also improves short-term memory. Participants who consumed caffeine were able to recall words they were shown earlier, while those without caffeine could not. Scientists aren’t sure exactly how caffeine improves memory, but animal studies show that it affects receptors in both sides of the brain—the frontal and temporal lobes—which are involved in-memory processing. This suggests that one-way caffeine may be improving your memory is by helping you focus more intently on what you want to remember. It’s also possible that enhanced brain activity brought on by drinking coffee can help trigger a series of events that lead to improved recollection. For example, when you pay attention to something, neurons fire in specific patterns that correspond with whatever you’re focusing on. If your goal is to remember something, these neural patterns will be stronger than if you weren’t trying to concentrate on anything in particular. By getting people excited or engaged with something (such as a topic or task), scientists have been able to observe changes in their neural patterns as they perform better at it. In other words, paying attention causes certain parts of our brains to work harder than others do under normal circumstances—and that extra effort might make us better at remembering things later on.

6.      Protects Against Parkinson's Disease

People who regularly drink coffee have a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease. A study published in August 2017 in Neurology revealed that regular coffee drinkers had a lower incidence of Parkinson's disease than those who did not drink coffee or drank it less frequently. Regular consumption of coffee could decrease your risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 21 percent. This research suggests that drinking four cups of black coffee per day, or one cup of decaffeinated coffee per day, could protect you from developing Parkinson's disease later in life. Moreover, new research presented at The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) showed that drinking two to three cups a day also lowers your risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. It is believed that caffeine has neuroprotective properties. It can block adenosine receptors, which may help prevent cell death associated with Parkinson's disease. In addition, caffeine may help improve blood flow to your brain, which helps reduce symptoms of memory loss and confusion. Caffeine may also help increase levels of dopamine in your brain—dopamine helps control movement and is often low in people with Parkinson's disease. Finally, caffeine can improve attention span and concentration—which is especially important for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia because they often experience memory loss as well as difficulty concentrating on simple tasks like reading a book or watching TV.

7.      Coffee is healthy for your heart

This 2012 study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, tracked more than 40,000 adults for a decade and found that those who increased their coffee consumption by one cup per day over a four-year period had a 21 percent lower risk of heart failure. Those who drank two additional cups each day had an even lower risk (about a 15 percent reduction). Another study from 2013 found that drinking four to five cups of coffee daily was associated with a 65 percent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. This isn’t surprising given all we know about antioxidants and inflammation. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that cause chronic diseases like heart disease; meanwhile, inflammation has been linked to atherosclerosis—hardening of the arteries—which can increase your risk for heart disease. But it doesn’t stop there: A 2015 meta-analysis found that people who drank three to five cups of coffee daily were at a 20 percent lower risk for liver cirrhosis compared to noncoffee drinkers. And research presented at Digestive Disease Week in 2016 revealed that drinking three or more cups of coffee daily may reduce your risk for colorectal cancer by as much as 60 percent. Finally, a 2017 report from Harvard University researchers showed that people who drink three or more cups of black coffee every day have up to 18 percent less body fat than those who don't drink any. Sounds good so far! But what about other health conditions?

8.       Lowers Risk of Certain Cancers

Studies show that coffee may reduce your risk of liver, colorectal, ovarian and endometrial cancers. The antioxidants in coffee appear to stop cancer cells from multiplying and spreading in your body, lowering your risk of developing several different types of cancer. However, it’s important to note that not all types of coffee have these same effects. According to a study published in Cancer Research, drinking caffeinated coffee doesn’t offer as much protection against certain types of cancer as drinking decaffeinated varieties. That said, studies have shown that any type of coffee can help lower your risk of developing breast cancer. This is likely due to caffeine’s ability to block estrogen receptors in breast tissue, which helps prevent tumors from forming there. Another study found that women who drank four or more cups of caffeinated coffee per day had a 20 percent lower risk for breast cancer than those who drank one cup or less per week. In addition to reducing your risk for certain types of cancer, research has also shown that drinking at least two cups per day can help lower your chances for other diseases like Parkinson's disease.

 

9.      Prevents Cavities and Tooth Decay

One study found that drinking coffee can actually lower your risk of tooth decay. (And let’s be honest, no one likes a mouth full of cavities.) Researchers found that coffee drinkers were less likely to have issues with dental plaque accumulation than non-coffee drinkers. It also helps remove stains and prevents bad breath. Score! (Related: A Guide to Your Teeth)

10.  May Reduce the Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease Section

Yes, science proves that drinking coffee might help you live longer. Researchers at Harvard University followed more than 100,000 people for 18 years and found that those who drank three to five cups of caffeinated coffee daily had a 10% lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers. And those who consumed four or more cups daily were 15% less likely to die early (3). This is mainly because coffee contains antioxidants, which help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals (4). Section: Helps You Prevent Parkinson's Disease and Dementia Yes, it’s another benefit associated with coffee. A study published in Neurology showed that caffeine intake was linked to a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (5). However, they also discovered that consuming too much caffeine can increase your chances of developing dementia—but only if you have an underlying genetic disorder called Parkinson's plus. In other words, if you don't have one of these disorders, then drinking coffee won't increase your risk for dementia. Section: Speeds up Weight Loss and Improves Physical Performance Caffeine has been shown to boost physical performance by increasing alertness and endurance levels during exercise.