Health Benefits of Coffee
For many years, doctors have recommended against drinking coffee, and it’s easy to accept this advice because anything you enjoy has to be bad for you, right? It’s a good thing that modern science is proving this old advice to be incorrect, as coffee can have many health benefits. The caveat is, there are a small number of people who process the caffeine in coffee very poorly, so if you get the jitters and shakes, or if you just don’t feel well, you can still skip the coffee and get these benefits elsewhere.
For everyone else, studies have shown that drinking coffee throughout your lifetime can decrease the risks of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and overall cognitive decline. You might feel like coffee makes you think faster, and it’s true in both the short term and the long term.
Coffee can help reduce the risk of certain breast cancers. While the exact mechanism isn’t yet known, women who enjoy a few cups of coffee a day were shown to have less risk of breast cancer development.
Drinking coffee can improve liver function. It used to be thought that coffee was stressful to the liver, but recent science shows that it makes the liver work more efficiently, and can reduce the risk for diseases like cirrhosis.
Coffee is also a mild thermogenic substance. This means that it helps your body to use stored fat for energy, and can be a great addition to a smart weight loss plan. You’ll get an extra calorie burn from the coffee, and you’ll have more energy to get a better workout.
Coffee is naturally high in antioxidants, so it fights the aging process. It’s also an antidepressant and can help lift your overall mood and make you happier.
Two to five cups per day is the general recommendation, and remember to drink plenty of water too, since coffee will make you run to the restroom a little more often.
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