There have been many studies over the decades either touting or debunking the health benefits of coffee. Most recently, study after study now shows that coffee, in moderation, has many health benefits.
Coffee has been shown to improve energy levels and boost intelligence. The caffeine found in coffee is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels directly to your brain, where it blocks adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter. This in turn causes an increase in the production of norepinephrine and dopamine, which enhances the firing of neurons, creating a stimulant effect. This boosts and improves brain function, leading to higher energy levels, better cognitive function, faster reaction times, improved memory, and better mood.
Caffeine has been proven to help you lose weight by boosting the metabolic rate of individuals. It also has been shown to increase the rate at which the body burns fat by sending signals to the body’s fat cells to break down fat. This makes the fat available to be used as fuel during exercise. This is why caffeine is found in almost every weight-loss product on the market.
In addition to helping you lose weight, caffeine increases levels of epinephrine or adrenaline, in the body. This produces a fight-or-flight mode. Combined with the increased fuel from fat-burning, caffeine improves physical performance.
Coffee has many necessary nutrients for the body including Vitamin B2, which promotes energy; Vitamin B5, which helps reduce stress on the body; manganese, which is necessary for healthy bones; potassium and magnesium, which help stabilize blood pressure; and niacin, or Vitamin B3, which can help prevent atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.
While it is not yet known how it works, coffee can help lower your risks of Type II Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Studies have shown that people who drank coffee regularly had lower instances of these health problems. Coffee has also been shown to protect the liver. People who drank four or more cups a day showed up to an eighty percent lower risk for cirrhosis, a disease in which healthy liver tissue has been replaced by scar tissue. Studies have shown that coffee drinkers have a forty percent less chance of developing liver cancer.
A recent Harvard School of Public Health study found that coffee may lower a woman’s risk for depression. Among women who drank four or more cups of coffee per day, the risk of developing depression dropped by over twenty percent. They believe it is due to the stimulant effects on brain chemicals and caffeine’s ability to block the neurotransmitter adenosine, which can interfere with normal brain activity.
Drinking three or four cups a day of coffee is considered perfectly safe for healthy adults, and it is in those amounts that the health benefits are seen. However, not everyone should have that much coffee. Because caffeine is a stimulant, you should probably have no more than one cup a day, or avoid coffee altogether if you are prone to anxiety. Coffee can cause restlessness, nervousness, stomach upset, insomnia, and irritability. You can test your tolerance to caffeine or speak with your doctor if you have any questions.
