I Am A Coffee Drinker
Coffee originated in the Ethiopian highlands, where legend says a goat farmer noticed that his goats became hyperactive after eating certain berries from a tree. From there, it made its way across the Arabian Peninsula and -in the 17th century – into North America and Europe…
To some, coffee is now an essential 21st century drug of sorts; a jolting liquid that staves off fatigue and lack of motivation. Sometimes, it even sounds more like an addiction than a drink that’s good for you. So, tell me, did you pass up a cup of coffee in favor of a “healthier” juice or a water this morning?
If you answered “yes,” then you might want to reconsider. The health benefits of coffee just keep rolling in and, in fact, it looks as though the old joe isn’t the villain it’s often made out to be – if, that is, we drink it in moderation!
Coffee is a heavily researched topic at the moment for scientists and it’s not like they’d tell you to start drinking it immediately, even if you hate the hot beverage. But, research certainly offers some reasons to drink coffee that we often overlook…
So, rather than thinking of coffee as only a vehicle for caffeine, how about we appreciate it for being the complex drink that it is, with some very diverse health outcomes on offer – coffee lovers rejoice! There are more studies than ever encouraging you to sip your way to good health… And here are 5 of them:
1. Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat
That’s right! Research has shown that caffeine can help to boost your metabolism and increase your metabolic rate by up to 10%… And no, that doesn’t mean you can now order the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate – grande, with whole milk, whipped cream, and sprinkles – and be totally guilt free about it! No way…
2. Coffee Could Help Protect Against Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Disease
Studies have found that coffee consumption could be associated with a reduced risk of dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. A study published in 2009 ba<x>sed on nearly 1,500 people showed a 65–70% decreased risk of dementia and a 62–64% decreased risk of Alzheimer’s in participants who drank 3–5 cups a day.
3. Coffee Could Reduce The Risk Of Depression
Coffee is linked to a lower risk of clinical depression, particularly in women. In a ten-year study of over 50,000 women, the results showed a negative correlation between suicide rates and drinking coffee! It was suggested that caffeine blocks the effects of unhappy hormones on our brain and reduces feelings of depression. Now that’s a reason to smile!
4. Coffee Could Be Good For Your Liver
The liver is vulnerable to all sorts of things we subject it to, like alcohol, fructose and overeating. Cirrhosis is the end stage of liver damage caused by these kinds of dietary temptation. Multiple studies have shown that coffee can lower the risk of liver cirrhosis by as much as 80% – the strongest effect for those who drank 4 or more cups of the stuff a day!
5. Coffee Could Lower Your Risk Of Type II Diabetes
Type II diabetes is a lifestyle-related disease characterized by high blood glucose levels due to insulin resistance or an ability to produce insulin. Scientists have shown that coffee is linked to a lower risk of diabetes, with the reduction risk ranging from 23% to 67% and – the more coffee per day test participants drank – the lower their risk of getting the disease.
The moral to this sweet-smelling story? Coffee is the best thing EVER – keep drinking it! Those goats were clearly on to something…
To some, coffee is now an essential 21st century drug of sorts; a jolting liquid that staves off fatigue and lack of motivation. Sometimes, it even sounds more like an addiction than a drink that’s good for you. So, tell me, did you pass up a cup of coffee in favor of a “healthier” juice or a water this morning?
If you answered “yes,” then you might want to reconsider. The health benefits of coffee just keep rolling in and, in fact, it looks as though the old joe isn’t the villain it’s often made out to be – if, that is, we drink it in moderation!
Coffee is a heavily researched topic at the moment for scientists and it’s not like they’d tell you to start drinking it immediately, even if you hate the hot beverage. But, research certainly offers some reasons to drink coffee that we often overlook…
So, rather than thinking of coffee as only a vehicle for caffeine, how about we appreciate it for being the complex drink that it is, with some very diverse health outcomes on offer – coffee lovers rejoice! There are more studies than ever encouraging you to sip your way to good health… And here are 5 of them:
1. Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat
That’s right! Research has shown that caffeine can help to boost your metabolism and increase your metabolic rate by up to 10%… And no, that doesn’t mean you can now order the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate – grande, with whole milk, whipped cream, and sprinkles – and be totally guilt free about it! No way…
2. Coffee Could Help Protect Against Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Disease
Studies have found that coffee consumption could be associated with a reduced risk of dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. A study published in 2009 ba<x>sed on nearly 1,500 people showed a 65–70% decreased risk of dementia and a 62–64% decreased risk of Alzheimer’s in participants who drank 3–5 cups a day.
3. Coffee Could Reduce The Risk Of Depression
Coffee is linked to a lower risk of clinical depression, particularly in women. In a ten-year study of over 50,000 women, the results showed a negative correlation between suicide rates and drinking coffee! It was suggested that caffeine blocks the effects of unhappy hormones on our brain and reduces feelings of depression. Now that’s a reason to smile!
4. Coffee Could Be Good For Your Liver
The liver is vulnerable to all sorts of things we subject it to, like alcohol, fructose and overeating. Cirrhosis is the end stage of liver damage caused by these kinds of dietary temptation. Multiple studies have shown that coffee can lower the risk of liver cirrhosis by as much as 80% – the strongest effect for those who drank 4 or more cups of the stuff a day!
5. Coffee Could Lower Your Risk Of Type II Diabetes
Type II diabetes is a lifestyle-related disease characterized by high blood glucose levels due to insulin resistance or an ability to produce insulin. Scientists have shown that coffee is linked to a lower risk of diabetes, with the reduction risk ranging from 23% to 67% and – the more coffee per day test participants drank – the lower their risk of getting the disease.
The moral to this sweet-smelling story? Coffee is the best thing EVER – keep drinking it! Those goats were clearly on to something…
