Coffee isn’t just warm and energizing, it may also be extremely good for you. The active ingredient in coffee is caffeine (obviously), which is a stimulant. It is also the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world.
In recent years and decades, scientists have studied the effects of coffee on various aspects of health and their results have been nothing short of amazing. So for all of you out there who are tired of being scolded for drinking too much coffee, this one’s for you.
1. Can Make You Smarter
You usually drink coffee when you are sleep-deprived, right? Well that much-needed jolt not only keeps you awake, it makes you sharper!
Caffeine potently blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, leading to a net stimulant effect. Controlled trials show that caffeine improves both mood and brain function. Many controlled trials show that coffee improves various aspects of brain function. This includes memory, mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times, and general cognitive function.
2. Can help burn fat
Caffeine, partly due to its stimulant effect on the central nervous system, both raises metabolism and increases the oxidation of fatty acids. Caffeine can also improve athletic performance by several mechanisms, including by mobilizing fatty acids from the fat tissues.
Studies show that caffeine can specifically increase the burning of fat, by as much as 10% in obese individuals, and 29% in lean individuals. However, it is possible that these effects will diminish in long-term coffee drinkers.
3. May Lower Your Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Not only can coffee make you smarter in the short term, it may also protect your brain in old age. In prospective studies, coffee drinkers have up to a 60% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by death of dopamine-generating neurons in the brain. Coffee may lower the risk of Parkinson’s by 32-60%.
4. May Be Extremely Good for Your Liver
Cirrhosis is the end stage of liver damage caused by diseases like alcoholism and hepatitis, where liver tissue has been largely replaced by scar tissue. Multiple studies have shown that coffee can lower the risk of cirrhosis by as much as 80%, the strongest effect for those who drank four or more cups per day.
Studies have also shown that coffee can help prevent people from developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Coffee may also lower the risk of liver cancer by around 40%.
5. Loaded with Nutrients and Antioxidants
A cup of coffee contains:
- 6% of daily recommended Vitamin B5
- 11% of daily recommended Vitamin B2
- 3% of daily recommended Potassium and Manganese
Coffee also contains a massive amount of antioxidants. In fact, coffee is the biggest source of antioxidants in the western diet, outranking both fruits and vegetables combined.
According to a study done in 2005, nothing else comes close to providing as many antioxidants as coffee. While fruits and vegetables also have tons of antioxidants, the human body seems to absorb the most from coffee.
6. Helps Reduce Heart Failure
A study of over 140,000 individuals in the journal “Circulation Heart Failure” showed that drinking one to two cups of coffee per day may reduce the risk of heart failure. People who drank two cups a day were 11% less likely to have heart failure, but that benefit disappears once you consume that third cup, the study showed.
7. Can Make You Happier
A study done by the National Institute of Health found that those who drink four or more cups of coffee were about 10% less likely to be depressed than those who had never touched it. And apparently it’s not because of the “caffeine high.” Coca Cola can also give you a caffeine high, but it’s linked to depression.
Drinking between two and four cups of coffee can reduce the risk of suicide in men and women by about 50%. The proposed reason is because coffee acts as a mild antidepressant by aiding in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline.
The moral of the story? DRINK UP.
Image sources:
https://giphy.com/gifs/cartoon-cartoons-network-itMEbNWuqffKU
https://giphy.com/gifs/taylor-swift-apple-commercial-g8CJl0epg71MQ
https://giphy.com/gifs/drake-ymcmb-ovo-xUrmE6PJBEbni
https://giphy.com/gifs/caffeine-MPOJoFQEE3mA8
https://giphy.com/gifs/angry-diet-healthy-IBd4FBqsP2hWg
http://wifflegif.com/tags/25114-heart-attack-gifs
https://giphy.com/gifs/season-1-netflix-stranger-things-3o6Ztm0Lv2eAMmNiZq
https://giphy.com/gifs/season-9-the-simpsons-9×13-3o6Mb5ZRsxCzWS84Cs