Nearly every adult loves coffee for a variety of reasons – and the taste is the last one of them. Coffee helps all of us start and maintain a productive day.
And coffee breaks are the best.
By Mila.
Besides tasting delicious – cappuccino, frappuccino, mocha, hmmm! – coffee also offers a bunch of health benefits to your brain and other parts of your body.
Win win!
(Three wins if you take photos of your coffee and show off how sophisticated you are!)
In this post, I’ll show you 9 surprising ways coffee benefits your body and brain, all backed by science.
Grab your cup and enjoy the read!
Coffee Gives Your Body Energy
This one might sound obvious.
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant known for its ability to combat tiredness and boost energy levels.
But do you know how coffee gives your body energy?
Caffeine gives your body energy by blocking the receptors of a neurotransmitter called adenosine, which raises levels of other feel good neurotransmitters in your brain that regulate your energy levels, such as dopamine.
One study showed that caffeine consumption extended the time to exhaustion during a cycling workout by 12% and considerably lowered subjective feelings of fatigue in participants.
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Coffee Is a Mental Stimulant That May Help ADHD
Besides giving you energy, coffee also works as a mental stimulant. How does that work?
Dopamine levels in the brain must be within a relatively limited range for a person to be able to concentrate on their work (or simply focus on something).
Dopamine levels, however, are abnormally low in those with ADHD.
According to the National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine, caffeine and amphetamines are stimulant substances that help raise dopamine levels.
Caffeine can replicate some of the effects of stronger stimulants used to treat ADHD, such as amphetamine medications, because it is a stimulant substance.
Benefits Of Drinking Coffee for Skin
A few facts support that drinking coffee (and gently rubbing coffee grounds on your skin) might actually do wonders for your skin! But what’s the science behind it?
Linoleic acid is plentiful in coffee. Linoleic acid plays a direct part in the skin’s water permeability barrier’s integrity. Other components in coffee may influence physiological processes like wound healing.
Caffeine and chlorogenic acids (CGA) found in coffee beans can help reduce inflammation caused by skin conditions like eczema, acne, and psoriasis.
Besides that, the antibacterial characteristics of CGA and caffeine in coffee grounds make them potential for combating skin infection illnesses.
Benefits Of Coffee with Milk
Some people don’t like black coffee, but love drinking coffee with milk.
Although milk isn’t the healthiest beverage out there, there are some upsides to drinking coffee with milk.
You might get away with it!
Milk is known for being a fat source – if you’re looking to gain some weight or up your calorie intake, adding milk to your coffee might help.
Hiba Batool, a nutritionist from Kinnaird College, shares that milk contains essential macro and micro nutrients, as well as proteins and carbohydrates. Milk has calcium, which aids the body in maintaining bone health.
Drinking coffee with milk can also help prevent acidity, since milk will counteract the acidic effects of coffee in the stomach.
Batool also shares that high temperature coffee is linked to thermal burns and the development of esophageal cancer.
“When coffee is mixed with somewhat less hot milk, the overall temperature is moderated”, she explains.
If you want a healthier option, you can try almond, soy or coconut milk.
Coffee Lowers Risk of Depression
According to several research, consuming coffee may be connected with a lower incidence of depression.
According to a review of seven different studies, each cup of coffee drunk per day was associated with an 8% decreased risk of depression.
Another study discovered that drinking at least four cups of coffee per day was related with a considerably lower incidence of depression when compared to only one cup per day.
But the most amazing thing is that one study of over 200,000 adults found that consuming coffee was associated with a decreased chance of death by suicide.
Coffee Might Lower the Risk of Neurodegenerative Disorders
A few studies showed that caffeine users had a considerably decreased chance of acquiring Parkinson’s disease, according to a meta-analysis of 13 studies.
Caffeine use has also been shown to reduce the progression of Parkinson’s disease over time.
Another review of 11 observational studies including over 29,000 people discovered that the more coffee people drank, the lower their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Furthermore, some studies have found that moderate coffee drinking may be linked to a lower incidence of dementia and cognitive decline.
But how?
Coffee May Promote Healthy Weight and Benefit Gut Health
According to some studies, coffee may modify fat storage and improve gastrointestinal health, both of which may be useful for weight loss in men and women.
Furthermore, one study discovered that people who drank one to two cups of coffee per day were 17% more likely than those who drank less than one cup per day to fulfill prescribed physical activity levels.
Now, if you’re looking to gain some weight (we see you!), coffee can also help – there are sweet coffee drinks that can give you extra calories.
Coffee Can Promote Liver Health
Quite a few studies support the belief that coffee promotes liver health.
According to a study, drinking more than two cups of coffee per day was associated with lower incidence of liver scarring and cancer in people with liver illness.
According to another study, the more coffee people drank, the lower their risk of dying from chronic liver disease.
One cup of coffee per day was associated with a 15% lower risk, whereas four cups per day was associated with a 71% lower risk.
Fun Fact: Coffee Doesn’t Dehydrate You
It’s said that coffee dehydrates the body and triggers fluid loss.
But more recent research shows that after consistently drinking coffee for a few days, the human body adjusts.
For this to “work”, the trick is being consistent. You should drink a similar amount of coffee per day, preferably around the same time.
If you usually drink one cup of coffee in the morning, and on a random day you decide to drink an extra two in the afternoon and at night, compensate by drinking more water.
Coffee Is Tied to A Lower Risk Of Death
Coffee may help extend life, according to some research, because of its numerous possible health benefits.
A review of 40 studies indicated that drinking two to four cups of coffee per day was related with a decreased risk of death, regardless of age, weight status, or alcohol consumption.
Another study of 1,567 participants discovered that drinking caffeinated coffee was associated with a decreased risk of death after 12 and 18 years of follow-up.
Furthermore, drinking at least one cup of coffee each day was linked to a decreased risk of cancer death.
A test-tube study found that coffee can greatly increase the life span of yeast by shielding it from free radicals and DNA damage.
Coffee Benefits And Risks
As you know by now, coffee has a bunch of benefits.
Here’s a quick list of what we’ve been through:
- Coffee gives your body energy
- Coffee is a mental stimulant
- Drinking coffee is good for your skin
- Coffee lowers risk of depression
- Coffee might lower risk for neurodegenerative disorders
- Coffee may promote healthy weight
- Coffee can promote liver health
- Coffee is tied to a lower risk of death.
Are There Any Risks In Drinking Coffee?
Coffee also has a few risks, especially if consumed too often or in great quantities.
First and foremost, at the same time coffee gives you an energy boost, it can make you anxious, if you exaggerate on the dose.
Coffee inhibits the effects of adenosine, a brain chemical that causes fatigue.
Simultaneously, it causes the release of adrenaline, the “fight-or-flight” hormone.
Coffee can also give you insomnia.
Because caffeine takes up to 9 hours to leave your system, your sleep might be disrupted.
Especially if you drink coffee later in the morning or during the afternoon.
A few studies found that coffee can increase the time it takes to fall asleep and also decrease total sleeping time.
And a review of 41 studies showed that while coffee gives you energy, it can also make you feel more tired than usual the next day.
Photos by Kate photo and Tamara Bellis
