Coffee, we love it. It helps you start the day with a boost, and the taste and flavors are always an experience for the senses. While the debate on whether coffee is good for you lingers on, there’s more evidence than ever to support the position that it is. However, remember that coffee has caffeine and should be something you enjoy in moderation and not in excess. Let’s look at the clear reasons that coffee is good for you.
Coffee Has More Than Caffeine
The connection between coffee and caffeine is strong in most people’s minds. Coffee, however, contains much more than caffeine. It has other antioxidants and active substances that can aid the body. Some of those other excellent nutrients are:
- Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
- Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
- Manganese and potassium
- Magnesium and niacin (vitamin B3)
As we explore all the components of coffee, you’ll find that cup or two you drink a day could be providing you with health benefits.
Why Coffee Is Good for You: 10 Reasons
Here are 10 reasons proven by science that coffee is good for you.
- You might live longer: Research supports that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from some of the leading causes of death in women, including coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.
- Your body may process sugar (glucose) better: This theory stems from research that determined people who drink more coffee are less likely to become type 2 diabetic.
- You could lower your risk of developing heart failure: Data suggests that regularly drinking coffee may help defend against cardiovascular failure. For those having one to two cups a day, the risk was 4% lower than non-drinkers. The lower risk was 10% for those drinking three to four servings and 11% for consumers that enjoyed four to five servings.
- You may be less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease: Caffeine is actually the ingredient that helps here. For those with the disease, it can help them better control their movements.
- Your liver appreciates coffee: Whether drinking regular or decaf coffee, each creates a protective effect on your liver. Coffee drinkers are more likely to have a healthy liver enzyme range than those who don’t.
- Your DNA will be stronger: Those who drink dark roast coffees have the happy side effect of less breakage in their DNA. Breakage is normal in DNA and can lead to cancer or tumors.
- Your odds of a colon cancer diagnosis go way down: Coffee drinkers, both regular and decaf, were 26% less likely to develop colon cancer. Why? Caffeine and polyphenol act as antioxidants, limiting the growth of potential colon cancer cells. Melanoidins generated during the roasting process could also encourage colon mobility.
- Your chance of Alzheimer’s disease could be lower: The caffeine in two cups of coffee may provide significant protection against developing the disease. Caffeine has short-term stimulating effects and may have long-term as well. Other attributes of coffee contribute to this decreased risk. For those older coffee drinkers, the risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia falls by 65%.
- Your risk of stroke could go down: Researchers found that those that drink at least one cup of coffee a day lowered their stroke risk by 20%. Antioxidants that act as anti-inflammatories may be the reason for this benefit.
- You might feel less depressed: Depression can be a crippling mental illness, and two studies looked at coffee’s impact on it. One found that women who drank four or more cups a day had a 20% lower risk of depression. Another found that those who drank the same amount were 53% less likely to die from suicide.
Here’s to Coffee
Coffee is good for you. It has an impressive amount of health benefits. You could feel healthier and be less susceptible to disease. Just keep it in moderation and don’t abuse it! Find your new favorite healthy drink by shopping our specialty grade coffees today!