Drinking coffee is perhaps something you do every single day of the year.
You might choose it because it’s a nice warm drink, or you might select it as your source of energy.
Scientists have been studying coffee and the effects on people’s health after consuming the drink for many years.
They have found that coffee may be one of the healthiest drinks you can choose. Here are five of the reasons why.
1. You want to be Smarter
Apart from helping to keep you awake, coffee can make you cleverer as well. Caffeine, which is the main active ingredient in the drink, is known to act as a stimulant.
Of all the frequently consumed psychoactive substances that exist, caffeine is at number one.
Caffeine acts by blocking the inhibitory properties of adenosine.
This boosts the neuronal firing within your brain, causing the discharge of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter; that’s good for smarter people.
Scientists have performed many controlled trials to examine how the brain works after being targeted by caffeine,
with proof undoubtedly showing quicker reaction times, better memory, increased vigilance and a better mood.
2. Improve Physical Performance and Burn Fat
If you look at the ingredients of fat burning supplements, you will often find caffeine is one of them.
This is because of the way that it reacts with your central nervous system, raising your metabolism which increases the oxidation of fatty acids.
When fatty acids are mobilised away from fat tissues, athletic performance can be rapidly improved, with scientists suggesting an increase of between 11% and 12% over the average.
3. Avoid Type II Diabetes
Around 300 million people in the world suffer from type II diabetes, which can dramatically change your lifestyle.
Where there is insulin resistance, the disease is often shown by an increase in high blood glucose levels and seen as an inability to manufacture insulin.
Depending upon which report you choose to accept, regular coffee drinkers saw the risk of diabetes lowered by an average of 7% for every cup of coffee they drank every day, after the first one.
4. Lower the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
You read earlier how coffee can make you smarter in the short term, but reports suggest that it also helps your brain when you become far older.
The most common neurodegenerative disorder is Alzheimer’s disease, which is one of the leading causes of dementia.
Studies have shown that there’s a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia for coffee drinkers.
Parkinson’s disease come second on the list of common disorders and there is a belief that coffee can lower the risk of Parkinson’s, depending upon which report you read, between 30 and 60%.
5. Is Coffee Great for your Liver?
Your liver is a very busy organ carrying out many functions that are vital for your body.
Alcoholism can severely damage the liver which is replaced by scar tissue and known as cirrhosis of the liver.
Studies have shown that cirrhosis can be cut by around 80% for those who drink four more cups of coffee a day,
with other studies showing that the liver can benefit by around 40% reduction of the risk of cancer, after drinking coffee.
With all these potential health benefits from coffee, you don’t need to boost your brain power with an extra to realise that drinking more coffee is a sensible move for your health.
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Damien Higgins writes for Eden Springs, whose Eden coffee machines provide a delicious cup of coffee at the office.