10 Reasons Why Coffee is Good For You

Coffee isn’t for everybody. It’s addictive and withdrawal can cause headaches, tiredness and irritability. Pregnant women and people with high blood pressure should avoid or limit their coffee intake, and if you’re having trouble sleeping you might want to forego that second – or third – cup of coffee.

Having said that, caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world. And there are there are lots of reasons for the average person to drink coffee – and enjoy it. Here then, are ten reasons coffee is good for you.

Coffee stimulates the brain

The average cup of coffee contains around 100 mg of caffeine, a known stimulant. In the brain, it blocks the function of a hormone called adenoisine, causing a short-term boost in energy levels and making us feel more alert.

Caffeine can enhance your physical performance

Caffeine increases adrenalin levels in the blood, the hormone that helps you prepare for physical exertion. Researchers at the Australian Institute of Sport found that a single cup of coffee helped athletes exercise for almost a third longer.

Coffee is high in antioxidants

A research study published in 2003 tested fruits and vegetables, wine, cereals, and coffee, and found that coffee contained more antioxidants than any of the others.

Coffee drinkers may live longer

In 2015, it was found that coffee drinkers who drank one to five cups per day had a lower risk of all-cause mortality than people who didn’t.

Now a group of researchers from Stanford University says it may be because of its ability to counter low-grade, chronic inflammations associated with many diseases of aging.

Coffee can help stave off depression

Several studies have shown that people who drink coffee have a lower risk of becoming depressed and are less likely to commit suicide. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and boosts production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, which elevate your mood and make you feel happier.

Drinking coffee can lower your risk of liver disease

According to the research, coffee drinkers have up to a 40% lower risk of liver cancer and up to an 84% lower risk of developing cirrhosis.

Coffee can help prevent diabetes

Coffee drinkers are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The theory is that caffeine decreases your insulin sensitivity and impairs glucose tolerance, and therefore reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Coffee may protect your brain as you get older

Studies have shown that moderate coffee consumption may lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to 65% and the risk of Parkinson’s by anywhere from 25% to 60%.

Drinking coffee may prevent the formation of gallstones

A study conducted in Italy found that people who regularly drank coffee or wine, or who ate fish or whole wheat bread, were less likely to develop gallstones.

Coffee might improve your waistline

Caffeine is a mild appetite suppressant and is practically calorie-free, if you don’t add milk and sugar. And although it needs further research, there’s been some discussion in recent years about green coffee – made from beans that haven’t been roasted. Unroasted beans contain a higher level of chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant compound thought to aid weight loss by reducing the amount of sugar absorbed from the gut, and speeding up the rate at which the body burns fat.