By: Megat Harris
Worldwide, experts estimate that people consume around 2.25 billion cups of coffee per day. When people think of coffee, they usually think of its ability to provide an energy boost. However, according to some research, it can also offer some other important health benefits, such as a lower risk of liver cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure.
Coffee contains a number of useful nutrients, including riboflavin (vitamin B-2), niacin (vitamin B-3), magnesium, potassium, and various phenolic compounds, or antioxidants. Some experts suggest that these and other ingredients in coffee can benefit the human body in various ways.
This article looks at the health benefits of drinking coffee, the evidence supporting those benefits, and the risks of drinking coffee.
5 Benefits of Drinking Coffee, Based on Science
Coffee Boost Your Workout
According to health.com, several studies have shown that in moderation, caffeine enhances athletic performance. The effects include improved circulation, increases in muscular strength, endurance, and power, plus reduced pain. That may help you push just a little bit harder during workouts, resulting in better improvements in muscle strength and/or endurance.
A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that muscle carbohydrate stores are replenished more rapidly when athletes consume both carbs and caffeine following exhaustive exercise. Compared to carbohydrates alone, the combo resulted in a 66% increase in muscle glycogen (the storage form of carbs) four hours after intense exercise. This surge in energy reserves ups your ability to exercise harder and/or longer the next time you’re ready to get your heart rate up.
Caffeine stimulates your nervous system, signalling fat cells to break down body fat. But it also increases epinephrine (adrenaline) levels in your blood. This is the fight-or-flight hormone, which prepares your body for intense physical exertion.
Coffee and Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a major health problem, currently affecting millions of people worldwide. It’s characterized by elevated blood sugar levels caused by insulin resistance or a reduced ability to secrete insulin. For some reason, coffee drinkers have a significantly reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Studies observe that people who drink more coffee have a 23–50% lower risk of getting this disease. One study showed a reduction may go as high as 67%.
Scientists say the possible reasons for the link include coffee's antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, ability to boost calorie burning, and impact on the content and diversity of health-protective gut microbes.
Contains Essentials Nutrients
Many of the nutrients in coffee beans make their way into the finished brewed coffee. Regular black coffee (without milk or cream) is low in calories. In fact, a typical cup of black coffee only contains around 2 calories. However, adding cream or sugar will increase the calorific value. Coffee beans also contain polyphenols, a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants can help rid the body of free radicals, a type of waste product that the body naturally produces as a result of certain processes.
Free radicals are toxic and may cause inflammation. Scientists have found links between inflammation and various aspects of metabolic syndrome, including type 2 diabetes and obesity.
A single cup of coffee contains:
Riboflavin (vitamin B2): 11% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI).
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5): 6% of the RDI.
Manganese and potassium: 3% of the RDI.
Magnesium and niacin (vitamin B3): 2% of the RDI.
May Protect You From Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia
Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease and the leading cause of dementia worldwide. This condition usually affects people over 65, and there is no known cure. A 2010 review also suggested that daily intake of 3-5 cups of coffee in middle age may lower the risk of the dementia and AD by about 65% as compared to lower amounts of coffee. However, the author also highlighted the fact that some findings are inconsistent.
However, there are several things you can do to prevent the disease from occurring in the first place. This includes the usual suspects like eating healthy and exercising but drinking coffee may be incredibly effective as well.
Caffeinated coffee increased plasma levels of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF), which seemed to improve the cognitive performance of AD transgenic mice with the recruitment of bone marrow cells, enhanced synaptogenesis, and increased neurogenesis. Neither a caffeine solution alone, nor decaffeinated coffee, provided this effect. The authors hypothesize that caffeine might interact with another component in coffee to selectively elevate GCSF.
5. Coffee Fight Depression
As on the medicalnewstoday.com website, Caffeine is a stimulant present in coffee and tea, among other foods and beverages. It provides a kick of energy. Research is inconclusive as to whether caffeine helps people with depression or makes the symptoms worse.
Scientific studies into the relationship between caffeine and depression have often shown that caffeine can reduce the incidence of depression. One 2016 analysis looked at 11 observational studies that took place in China between 1980 and 2015. It found that caffeine contributed to a significant decrease in a person’s risk of depression.
Caffeine is a stimulant. For this reason, people may experience withdrawal symptoms if they do not have access to it. Caffeine withdrawal can trigger symptoms that overlap with those of depression and anxiety. The Caffeine only provides a temporary boost to the nervous system. As a result, people with depression may experience a more severe drop in their mood once the effects of the stimulant wear off.
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