Benefits of Coffee

Many people cannot think of starting their day without a cup of strong coffee. It is true that your daily cup of coffee helps you start your day on a positive note, but you may not be aware of other benefits. It contains antioxidants and has brain-boosting ability as well. While there are experts who believe that coffee can lead to problems like indigestion, insomnia, and increased heart rate, you may be able to avoid those negative effects by drinking in moderation.

Benefits of Coffee

Whether coffee is beneficial or not has long been a controversial topic, but many recent studies show that you can actually enjoy several health benefits by drinking a moderate amount of coffee every day. Here are some potential benefits of drinking coffee.

1.       It Improves Your Endurance

Many studies show that drinking coffee may actually lower your perception of pain during strenuous physical activities. At the same time, it improves your endurance and makes you feel more energized. It means that you can greatly enhance the quality of your workout by having a cup of coffee before you start.

2.       It Makes You Smarter

Coffee can stimulate your central nervous system and trigger the release of certain chemicals in your brain that improve memory and make you smarter. Coffee may also help inhibit a neurotransmitter adenosine, which in turn increases other neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. This may actually improve brain function, including vigilance, reaction times, and general cognitive function.

3.       It Provides You with Nutrients

You may be thinking that most of the benefits of coffee come from its caffeine content, but that is not true because it provides you with other nutrients and antioxidant as well. People in Western countries get more antioxidants from coffee than they do from vegetables and fruits. Along with antioxidants, it also provides you with magnesium, potassium, riboflavin, and niacin.

4.       It Lower Risk of Depression

There is some evidence that people who drink coffee are 20% less likely to develop clinical depression. This is especially true for people who drink four 8oz cups of coffee per day. This actually happens because coffee can help increase the production of certain brain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.

5.       It Prevents Liver Disease

Not only can coffee help prevent liver disease, but it can also help treat it if you already have one. Some evidence suggests that drinking coffee may lower your risk of liver cancer. It also lowers risk of liver cirrhosis. One of many benefits of coffee is that it may actually help reverse nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which when left untreated can have devastating complications.

6.       It Improves Cardiovascular Health

It is actually a tricky point to understand because too much of coffee can actually be bad for your heart, as it can lead to increased heart rate and hypertension. However, drinking moderate amount of coffee can actually lower your risk of having a stroke. Moreover, some studies have found that even though coffee can increase your blood pressure, that change is only temporary and is not going to lead to any long-term problem.

7.       It Lowers Risk of Diabetes

Some recent studies have found that coffee drinkers are less likely to deal with diabetes as compared to people who do not drink it at all. Some experts believe that this benefit comes from the fact that coffee suppresses your appetite. Others believe that it happens because coffee makes you more energized and allows you to be active, which lowers your risk of diabetes.

8.       It Improves Metabolism

You may consider including coffee in your diet when you are trying to lose weight because one of many benefits of coffee is that it helps boost metabolism. That happens mainly because coffee provides you with pantothenic acid, niacin, and riboflavin that regulate and boost metabolic activity. With a better metabolism, your body will also be able to utilize nutrients more efficiently, which in turn will help keep you healthy.

9.       It Improves Mood

A single cup of coffee is enough to activate your body and mind, and this can also help trigger the release of feel-good hormones. Drinking coffee improves your mood and protects you from depression. Just avoid drinking too much because excessive intake of coffee is actually linked to mood swings and anxiety.

How Much Coffee per Day for Healthy Benefits

Now that you know the benefits of coffee, you may be wondering exactly how much to drink to enjoy maximum results. Here are some guidelines to consider:

  • Caffeine for Healthy Adults: When you are healthy and have no medical issue, you can consume up to 400mg of caffeine per day. This equals to 5.2 shots of espresso, 11.7 12fl.oz Cokes, two 5-Hour Energy shots, and 5 8fl.oz of Red Bull.
  • Caffeine for Ages 12 and Under: Children under the age 12 should avoid caffeine, but sometimes, it may help children struggling with ADHD. Some experts believe that it is okay for children to have no more than 45mg of caffeine per day. Caution that it should not be a part of your child's daily diet.
  • Caffeine for Ages 13 to 18: It is important to limit your intake of caffeine when you are in this age group, but some experts believe that you can still consume up to 100mg of caffeine a day. Drinking more can interfere with brain development. It means you should not drink more than 1.25 8fl.oz of Red Bull, 1.3 Shots of espresso, three 12fl.oz of Cokes, or 0.5 of a 5-Hour Energy Shot.
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