Both drinking coffee and not drinking it has their benefits. For those seeking justifications to continue drinking coffee, this piece is for you. 

You might know someone who despises coffee. They always tell you what’s harmful for your health—you know the kind. 

Here are a few verified scientific benefits of consuming coffee in moderation. Remember this list so you can use one of these gems the next time you run into your favourite coffee hater. 

• Coffee is rich in antioxidants and essential nutrients

Coffee is among the healthiest drinks we can consume when it isn’t loaded with sugar and creamers. It has much more antioxidants compared to green tea and cocoa, two beverages renowned for their antioxidant qualities. 

Potassium, Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Magnesium, and Niacin are a few more beneficial components in coffee. 

For people who follow a typical Western diet, coffee has been identified as a significant dietary source of antioxidants. So go ahead and make another cup of coffee.

• Coffee helps improve energy levels

Many people would take a cup of coffee to give themselves that extra boost of energy and alertness for the day. This is because it stimulates the central nervous system and speeds up communication between the brain and body. 

Caffeine is a natural substance that aids in our “wake-up” process. The recommended daily intake of caffeine for an average adult who follows a healthy, balanced diet and engages in regular physical exercise is 400mg, or about 3-5 eight-ounce cups of coffee. To maximise caffeine’s health advantages, it is advisable to stay away from large amounts of added sugar and syrups.

Also read: 14 tips to stay healthy in 2023

• Coffee prevents Kidney Stones

If you drink coffee, you may be less likely to develop kidney stones, which many consider to be among the most agonising medical illnesses ever. A study found that persons who regularly drank coffee had a lower risk of kidney stones than those who did so only occasionally.

The researchers claim that because coffee contains caffeine, drinking more of it causes you to urinate more frequently. This helps your body get rid of extra calcium and sodium that could create kidney stones. 

• Coffee helps lower the risk of liver disease

Recharging your body with a good cup of coffee after a long night of drinking alcohol can really make you and your liver feel better.

According to research, drinking one to three cups of coffee daily may help reduce the progression of liver diseases such as cirrhosis, fibrosis, and Hepatitis B and C. Caffeine causes the body to produce a substance called paraxanthine. This inhibits the growth of the scar tissue that causes fibrosis. Due to this, liver cancer, fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis brought on by alcohol may all be prevented.

• Coffee Lowers risk for Parkinson’s disease  

Coffee may reduce the risk of acquiring Parkinson’s disease due to its neuroprotective qualities. 

Second to Alzheimer’s disease in terms of prevalence among neurodegenerative disorders is Parkinson’s disease. Unfortunately, there is still no cure for this disease, but research indicates that drinking coffee can cut that risk by up to 30%. The majority of research suggest that the optimal dose of coffee is three cups. The development of the harmful protein aggregates (alpha-synuclein) linked to the onset of Parkinson’s disease has also been demonstrated to be prevented by various coffee constituents, such as phenylindane and caffeine mixed with EHT (a fatty acid molecule generated from serotonin).

Also read: how to deal with commitment issues

• Coffee Lowers the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis

A review research suggests that drinking coffee may lower your risk of getting multiple sclerosis. It is a disabling neurological condition that most frequently affects people between the ages of 20 and 40. 

Persons who drank four or more cups of coffee every day had a 33 percent lower risk of contracting the illness. Caffeine’s neuroprotective effects stops the creation of inflammatory proteins responsible for the disease’s development.

• Coffee may help lower the risk of cancer

One of the top killers in the world is cancer. 

Fortunately, coffee is made from beans that are high in antioxidants, which may have cancer-preventive properties. More recent research has connected coffee consumption to a lower risk of developing some cancers, such as liver cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer. Some components in the beverage lower liver enzymes and slow the progression of liver disease. But it’s crucial to remember that cream and sugar contain extra calories and fat, which may raise your chance of developing cancer. So drinking coffee plain is the greatest method to benefit from its health properties.

• Coffee Slashes Your Diabetes Risk

Studies found that those who consume coffee regularly have a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes than persons who don’t. 

According to another study, people who drink four to six cups each day can reduce their chance of developing diabetes even further. It is thought that some of the diabetes-protective effects they discovered may be explained by coffee’s high concentration of chlorogenic acid. This is a polyphenol that has been demonstrated to lower blood sugar concentrations and their absorption in the intestines.

• Coffee helps burn fat

Caffeine boosts aerobic capacity and the maximal fat oxidation rate (MFO), which increases fat burning. Consuming caffeine thirty minutes before engaging in an aerobic activity (like running or cycling) boosts fat burning. Additionally, it was discovered that exercise intensity, lipid oxidation, and maximum oxygen intake were all higher in the late afternoon compared to the early morning. In essence, coffee can increase fat burning if it is ingested in the afternoon, 30 minutes before exercise.

• Coffee can help fight depression

Millions and millions of people are affected by depression each year, making it one of the most prevalent mental illnesses in the world. Coffee can improve mental health because it has over 1,000 bioactive chemicals, including caffeine, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities. 

Due to its psychostimulant properties, caffeine may help reduce some depressive effects by boosting alertness and motivation. In the central nervous system, caffeine has the power to block adenosine receptors, preventing them from eliciting a cellular response that results in a drowsy, exhausted state of mind. Caffeine boosts the quantity of dopamine that binds to dopamine receptors in the forebrain by attaching to these adenosine receptors without activating them. 

Coffee is directly related to increased dopamine activity in the brain and has a strong protective impact against depression.

• Coffee Boosts Your Mood

Coffee may just be a liquid version of happy pills. 

Men who drank at least four cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of developing depression than men who drank none. Furthermore, Harvard researchers found that those who drank the beverage two to three times a day had a 55 percent lower risk of suicide than nondrinkers. 

The researchers suggest that this may be because caffeine has a moderate antidepressant effect via promoting dopamine’s transmission, which controls mood.

• Coffee may help you live longer

A 14% lower risk of early death is associated with daily coffee consumption of up to eight cups compared to no coffee consumption. Coffee consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of respiratory illness, strokes, diabetes, colon and liver cancer, among other diseases. Although many other factors are at play here, this is a general association. Furthermore, a lot of people believe that coffee plays a role in their happiness, whether it be discovering new local hangouts, going out for a cold brew with pals, or just finding a comfortable space to relax with a cup of joe.

And as we are all aware, happiness and longevity are intertwined.

Conclusion 

One of the healthiest and most beneficial beverages you may have is coffee. It has several benefits, from diversifying your gut microbiota to lowering risks for various diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and depression. The nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in the coffee bean itself are responsible for the health effects, which affect almost every aspect of our body.

Along with your coffee fix, you’re getting health benefits. Sip cheerfully!