Coffee has been praised and mocked for centuries. People have blamed it for causing impotence and sanity as well as being a cure for laziness or a “gift from heaven.” Many people like myself depend on a cup of coffee to start the day right.
The main and well-known component of coffee is caffeine which is the world’s most consumed psychoactive substance. The health benefits of coffee have been extensively researched, but coffee as a whole is a complex beverage containing a thousand different substances.
Some studies argue whether decaf or caffeinated coffee may have the same health effects and that caffeine is not responsible for the majority of the coffee’s health benefits.
The ongoing research on coffee is trying to dispel long-held beliefs that coffee is harmful to one’s health. According to numerous researches, coffee plays an important role in maintaining good health and may lower your risk of developing a variety of life-threatening diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.
Benefits of Drinking Coffee in the Morning
1. Coffee Helps in Burning Fat
Eliminating coffee while on a diet is not a good idea. Studies have proven that caffeine can boost our metabolic rate by 11%. It also increases fat-burning ability by 10% in people with obesity and almost 30% in the thinner people.
Not just that, coffee also helps us improve performance at the gym. According to a study, men who drank a cup of coffee an hour before cycling completed their workout five times faster than those who didn’t drink.
2. Boosts Energy Levels
Other than burning fat, coffee also enhances our energy levels. The caffeine in coffee helps jolt us out in the morning grogginess and makes us feel less tired. When we drink coffee, caffeine blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine once it enters the bloodstream in the brain.
3. Helps Prevent Kidney Stones
In the case of kidney stones, adding coffee to our diet is definitely worth it. According to a study done by Harvard, people who drink one or more cups of coffee per day are 26% less likely to develop kidney stones. Furthermore, caffeine causes frequent urination, which releases the excess calcium and sodium that studies believe cause kidney stones.
4. Helps Protect Our Brain
Alzheimer’s and dementia are terrifying diseases that have no cure. The only solution is prevention, but coffee plays an important role in protecting our brains from these debilitating diseases. According to research, drinking coffee can reduce our risk of developing Alzheimer’s by up to 66%.
A Japanese study found that daily coffee consumption was associated with a reduced risk of stroke.
5. Helps Lower the Risk of Diabetes
Adults who have type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for heart disease, nerve and kidney damage, vision problems, and Alzheimer’s disease. According to one research, coffee may be an effective tool in the fight against type 2 diabetes.
According to the summary of 18 different studies, each daily cup of coffee we drink reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by almost 7%. This is because coffee contains chlorogenic acid, which has been shown to lower blood sugar levels.
6. Helps Protect the Liver
Cirrhosis is a serious life-threatening liver disease. The liver cancer rates have increased by 4% per year on average over the last decade. The research found that people who drink four or more cups of coffee per day are 80% less likely to develop cirrhosis.
According to researchers of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, people who drink two to three cups of coffee per day are 38% less likely to develop liver cancer.
7. Coffee and Heart Health
Even though coffee is not the latest trendy superfood. According to a study, it is one of the best sources of anti-oxidants. Coffee also contains vitamins B2, B3, and B5. B2 helps in the prevention of heart disease and cancer; B3 helps in the stabilization of blood sugar levels.
Another study found that drinking three to five cups of coffee per day was associated with a 15% lower risk of heart disease.
A study found that drinking three to four cups of coffee per day was associated with a 21% lower risk of heart disease. Researchers studied more than 21,000 people for this study. They found that high consumption of coffee was associated with a lower risk of heart failure.
8. Helps Protect Against Cancer
Along with lowering the risk of developing liver cancer, one study found that people who drink 4 to 5 cups of coffee per day have a 15% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer, and researchers from the National Cancer Institute in the United States believe that people who drink four or more cups of coffee per day are 20% less likely to develop melanoma.
9. Coffee Cheers You Up!
Studies have shown that coffee helps to fight depression in people who suffer from the seasonal affective disorder.
Moreover, coffee has also been shown to improve moods when an individual is feeling down, even in people with no known mental health issues.
Two specific studies support this claim. The first was found in a 2011 Harvard study that found that women who drink four or more cups of coffee per day had a 20% lower risk of developing depression.
In addition, a second study, which included 208,424 people, discovered that those who drank four or more cups of coffee per day were 53% less likely to commit suicide.
Apart from the Benefits of Drinking Coffee in the Morning, you can check out our blog on The Ten Top Health Benefits of Coffee.
Coffee – A Healthy Energizer!
There are several benefits of drinking coffee in the morning for not only your body but also your brain. It helps make you more focused, boost energy levels, promote weight loss, enhance athletic performance, and protect against chronic diseases.
At the same time, we must remember that some people, including children and adolescents, and those with certain health conditions, should watch their caffeine intake to avoid caffeine overdose.
