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12 Health Benefits of Coffee: Is Coffee Good for You?

Coffee: The magic in a cup that gets us out of the morning slumber and fills us up with the much-needed energy for the day.

What would our days be like without our daily cup of coffee? Let’s not think about that now.

Coffee enthusiasts will tell you that their expensive coffee has many benefits. And they’re not wrong. When consumed in the right amounts, coffee can benefit our bodies in ways we never thought was possible.

With loads of different coffee books and scientific studies on the subject, we’ve put together a list of the health benefits of coffee you should know.

1. It Raises Your Energy Levels

Some people can barely function in the morning without first drinking a cup of coffee. You know that drowsiness you feel in the morning that is magically eliminated by coffee? While many believe that this was psychological at first, that coffee cannot have all that power, science says it does have an effect on your alertness levels.

Coffee contains caffeine—a natural stimulant that is one of the most popular psychoactive substances globally. Once coffee gets into the bloodstream, it goes to the brain, where it stops the neurotransmitter activity that leads our brain to feel tired—adenosine. As a result of this abrupt stop, the noradrenaline neurons are activated, influencing the dopamine levels to increase. This way, a person who couldn’t really open their eyes in the morning, after having their coffee, feels fresh as a daisy.

2. It Helps You Stay Focused

When caffeine makes its way to the brain, it affects many different brain cells—from the cells that make you feel exhausted and tired, to the ones that help you stay focused and alert. As a natural stimulant, the caffeine in coffee can boost your ability to concentrate and improves your mental alertness. However, for it to have this effect on you, your coffee should contain a dose of at least 75mg of caffeine.

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3. It Can Reduce the Risk of Developing Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects millions of people in the world. Those with diabetes have high blood sugar levels, and their body secretes little to no insulin hormone to help turn that sugar into energy. This disease has yet to have a cure, however, it’s a manageable one.

That’s where coffee comes in. We can see for ourselves one of the health benefits of coffee. Studies have shown that those who consume coffee on a daily basis have a 14%-30% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In one other study, the risk seems to be even lower. For every cup of coffee one drinks in a day, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is 7%.

4. It Can Protect Your Liver

The liver is the largest organ in the human body and at the same time one of the essential ones. The liver has more than 500 hundred vital functions in our body. Such an important organ should be preserved from the diseases that could affect it.

One of the ways we can protect our liver (from the health benefits of vodka) is by drinking coffee. In numerous studies, the results showed that coffee as a drink can protect the liver from many diseases, including alcoholic cirrhosis. Besides cirrhosis, coffee reduces the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, reduces the advancement of fibrotic disease, and reduces the ability of the hepatitis C virus to replicate.

5. It Can Alleviate Depression

Depression is a very common and simultaneously very serious mental disorder. Its symptoms can affect the quality of anyone’s life. Which is why practicing self-care is important.

Drinking coffee is among the many steps you can take to fight this disorder and improve your mental health. A study found that coffee as a drink can reduce the risk of getting depressed. Coffee consumers have a lower risk of depression because of the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. The results of another study found that those who drink 4 or more cups of coffee daily showed a lower risk of depression than those who drank one cup or less.

Though not very many studies have been done on the subject, CBD coffee is the latest attempt at depression relieving coffee.

6. It Can Lower Your Risk of a Stroke

More than 795,000 American people experience a stroke yearly. Knowing how serious it’s important to know if your French press coffee maker can help reduce your risk.

Good news for coffee lovers! You can actually reduce your chances of experiencing a stroke by sticking to your love for this drink. By drinking two cups of coffee per day you cut the stroke risk by 20%. In a meta-analysis, researchers found that drinking four cups of coffee or more per day can have a preventive effect on strokes.

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7. It Can Improve Lung Function

Another benefit of coffee consumption seems to be the positive effect it has on the lungs. Especially for people who suffer from asthma. Among many substances that coffee contains is caffeine which is also a weak bronchodilator and reduces respiratory muscle fatigue.

In a study that explored the effects of caffeine in asthma, the results showed that even small amounts of caffeine can improve lung function for up to four hours. Another study confirmed this claim as well as found that coffee did reduce the respiratory mortality.

8. It Can Add Years to Your Life

Certainly, coffee has many upsides for its daily drinkers. It’s believed that drinking coffee can extend your life. While this can sound a little too good to be true, many studies done on this subject seem to prove this claim.

In a cohort study that followed quite a large number of coffee drinkers and non-drinkers, the results showed that compared to non-consumers, regular coffee consumers experienced lower all-cause mortality. Another study done on this subject seems to second this claim.

9. It May Reduce the Risk of Getting Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is an irreversible and progressive brain disorder that in the course of several years completely erases the memory of a person. This disorder results in the inability to carry out the simplest tasks anymore. Approximately, 5 million Americans suffer from this disorder.

While eating healthy and exercising could be great steps to preventing this disease, consuming coffee can be quite effective as well. In a study, coffee drinking might be associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

10. It May Lower the Chance of Developing Parkinson’s

More than 60,000 Americans get diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year. Being careful with what you consume could arguably be at the top of the list of prevention of this disease. In a study related to the effect of coffee on Parkinson’s disease, it was found that the combination of EHT (Eicosanoyl-5-Hydroxytryptamide) and caffeine slow down the progression of neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Even those that are already diagnosed with Parkinson’s can benefit from coffee and its properties. In a study whose participants were newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s, coffee drinkers had lower tremor scores than non-coffee drinkers.

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11. It Can Improve Your Athletic Performance

Many people carry out specific physical routines so that they can achieve their performance goals. Several studies have shown that coffee might give your workout a boost. That’s why many athletes consume this performance-enhancing supplement.

By consuming coffee you increase your muscular strength, power, and reduce the pain. It’s a tasty way to enable yourself to push harder during your workout and achieve those Captain America abs and push through arm workouts. Not only that, but you might get away with eating your favorite cheat meal alongside coffee. A study found that muscle carbohydrate stores are replenished faster when the athlete consumes both caffeine and carbs after the workout. Though protein shakes are effective as well.

12. It Can Help You Lose Weight

Coffee contains several biologically active substances. Those substances are initially found in coffee beans. However, some of them also find their way into the final drink. Substances like caffeine and chlorogenic acid can help slow down the absorption of carbs and speed up your metabolism. Who wouldn’t want to drop pounds while sipping on a delicious treat?

Researchers found that by drinking one coffee cup, you can increase your metabolic rate, and in turn, the brown adipose activity occurs. This activity leads to fat burning and weight loss. In another research, it was found that drinking four cups of coffee can reduce your body fat by 4%.

At some point, you must have asked yourself—is coffee really healthy? Being a regular coffee drinker might sometimes bring out doubts on its benefits and drawbacks, no matter how small they might be. Well, by now, you must have realized that coffee does more good than harm to you and your body. So, The Manual is glad to let you know that coffee isn’t a guilty pleasure and you can continue utilizing it with no regrets! Pick up that coffee subscription without fear and start making coffee drinks of your own.

Editors' Recommendations

Ella Rowlings
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ella Rowlings is a health and nutrition writer for The Manual. Cooking is one of her life-long passions, so she spends a lot…
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