Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world, with its distinct flavor and smell. While it is consumed for mental stimulation and physical energy, many health benefits come with a regular cup of joe. With this time of year always focused on health and wellness, let’s dive into the health benefits of coffee.
Coffee in Moderation Keeps You Alert
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, making you feel alert and awake. This effect is similar to stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, or amphetamines. Caffeine acts the same way as these substances by boosting energy and making your brain more efficient.
Coffee May Protect the Brain
Caffeine has been shown to protect the brain from deposits of plaques that can lead to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. A study published in the National Academy of Sciences found that caffeine directly prevents new plaques from forming in mice brains. Also, Caffeine increases serotonin and acetylcholine, which may stimulate the brain and help stabilize the blood-brain barrier.
Coffee is Good for Your Heart
Drinking one to two cups of coffee a day may help ward off heart failure, when a weakened heart has difficulty pumping enough blood to the body. Scientists have evaluated 200 studies on coffee consumption and heart disease and have concluded that it may prevent heart disease. Drinking coffee lowers the risk of stroke and may decrease the risk of heart failure. A Harvard study showed that participants who drank coffee regularly were 40% less likely to suffer from a heart attack than those who did not.
Coffee Can Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes usually affects middle-aged adults over the age of 40. The disease can create dangerous conditions for its victims through complications such as nerve damage, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Some studies suggest that drinking coffee — whether caffeinated and decaffeinated — may actually reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. (Mayo Clinic)
Coffee Can Help Prevent Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are painful conditions that cause sharp and intense pain in the abdomen. A study by Harvard Medical School showed that drinking three to four cups of coffee could dramatically decrease one’s risk of developing kidney stones. Another study shows “one cup a day to 1.5 cups per day, reduces the risk of kidney stones by 40 percent,” said co-author of “Coffee and Caffeine Consumption and Risk of Kidney Stones: A Mendelian Randomized Study”, Susanna C. Larsson, PhD, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.
Coffee Boosts Immune Function
Coffee has been shown to have the ability to strengthen the immune system by treating itself with free radicals that can harm immune cells. It also blocks the action of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3), an enzyme that can inhibit cell growth and trigger inflammation. If you regularly drink coffee, it’s important to drink other major antioxidants, like berries and blueberries, instead.
Coffee May Prevent Cancer
Coffee consumption has decreased the risk of developing several types of cancer. Research has shown that those who drink coffee have a 32% reduced risk of developing breast cancer. Those who drink two or more cups a day have a 54% lower risk of getting bladder cancer, while having three cups daily is associated with an 80% lower risk. However, consuming just one cup a day has no effect on the chances of getting pancreatic cancer.
*more studies need to be done to confirm coffee’s effectiveness in preventing cancer
Coffee May Reduce the Risk of Gallstones
Research has shown that coffee may reduce your chances of getting gallstones. In a journal World Journal of Gastroenterology study, Among 104,493 individuals, those who drank more than six cups of coffee per day had a 23% lower risk of developing symptomatic gallstones compared with individuals who did not drink coffee.
Coffee Can Prevent Free Radical Damage
Coffee is high in antioxidants and has been linked to the prevention of cancer and dementia. These antioxidants help reduce free radical damage in the body and are essential for a healthy heart, immune system, and brain. These antioxidants can also help prevent premature aging in our skin.
Coffee has several health benefits as long as it is used in moderation. It is the perfect type of beverage to get you up in the morning, moving throughout your day, and staying healthy in the process. Come try a delicious cup of our signature single-brew craft coffees at one of our two locations, 1170 N. Preston Rd Suite 130 Prosper, TX 75078 or 990 W. Van Alstyne Pkwy Van Alstyne, TX 75495.
