Even more reasons to brew!
A cup of coffee a day keeps the doctor away
No, you didn’t read that wrongly! Some recent studies have found that coffee is a big winner when it comes to health promoting effects. From antioxidants to heart health, there are even more reasons to enjoy a nice hearty cup of Joe in the morning and certainly a few reasons why you should enjoy more than one! Once you finish this article you’re gonna want to pour yourself a whole pot of Java. But that doesn’t mean nix the apples too! Coffee has some amazing health and longevity promoting benefits, but a healthy and balanced diet certainly doesn’t hurt, either!
Longevity and other benefits
Below, we have picked out a few (there are a ton more) reasons why coffee is a lifelong friend. And we do mean that (somewhat) literally! Coffee hosts lots of beneficial vitamins and minerals and special health-boosting abilities. And here, showcased for your convenience is a list of some great ones.
Lower risk of death
Let’s begin with the longevity research. There have been many studies, from Europe and the USA and even Japan examining the effects of coffee on general health, reducing the risks of a premature death and longevity in general. And while many other factors come into play with these studies, like the overall health and lifestyles of the participants, each result seemed to find out something miraculous about coffee. It’s good for you. But even more than that!
Many of these studies found that individuals who enjoy anywhere from one to five cups of coffee per day exhibited reduced risks of dying prematurely. And here’s how, many diseases and ailments like heart disease seemed to be potentially circumvented by the health promoting effects of coffee on the human body. And those who indulged in a cup of Java each day even demonstrated higher potentials of living longer than their non-coffee peers. So, with a properly healthy diet and lifestyle, and a nice daily serving of coffee, one to five cups or so, you can potentially also maybe live a bit longer, too. The path to longevity might be pretty sweet after all! And here, we had been led to believe it involved swearing off a whole bunch of good stuff.
Coffee’s antioxidants
So, what exactly are antioxidants and why do we wanna drink them? Antioxidants are naturally occurring compounds that are found in all sorts of food, mostly fruits and vegetables. ESPECIALLY the really colorful ones. And coffee is produced from the beans of a fruit, technically. A really COLORFUL fruit at that! So this one shouldn’t be too crazy sounding! But more importantly, antioxidants help protect our bodies from oxidative stress. And what might that be? Well in our body are all sorts of these cell damaging thingies called “free radicals”. Free radicals roam around damaging our cells and just generally being unpleasant. Free radicals and the oxidative stress they can incur on our bodies can result in many life-threatening diseases. Some of which include liver and heart disease as well as certain types of cancer. Antioxidants can stop these villains in their tracks and keep our bodies looking and feeling younger. And luckily, coffee provides the human body with a ton of antioxidants. That isn’t to say you should skip out on fruits and veggies, though. But you can feel less guilty about your dietary habits when you enjoy a cup or two of coffee. In fact, to reap the most benefits from coffee, try enjoying a balanced breakfast high in fiber, fruits and some coffee. Or, if your lunch is lacking some greens, grab an afternoon cup of coffee to try to begin balancing your antioxidants out.
Coffee makes us happy
Some studies have shown that enjoying coffee regularly can potentially reduce risks of developing depression and some studies have even suggested that coffee can potentially also reduce ones risk of committing suicide. But a caveat for these two, just like all the others, for those who are taking medication like anti-depressants, coffee is not an alternative to medically prescribed medication. Consult your doctor, therapist, physician and trusted friends, loved ones, family and community members to talk about depression and any thoughts of self harm you, a friend or a loved one may be having or exhibiting. Coffee is an amazing beverage to enjoy, but certainly talk to someone and seek professional help as soon as you can.
May lower risk of various diseases
Recent studies have found that coffee drinkers experience a bit of a lower risk of developing some other diseases and ailments. Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, cirrhosis, gout and Parkinson’s are all ailments that coffee can help keep at bay. Many studies have gone into coffee’s potential as a guard against developing certain types of cancer, and so far, coffee can potentially reduce the risk of developing ailments and complications that can become cancer. But it is not a cancer cure per say. So, just like the above health fact regarding coffee, always defer to what healthcare professionals suggest.
Heart health
In a recent study, evidence suggested that individuals who enjoy 3-5 cups of Joe a day may get some heart-friendly results! In this study, individuals who enjoyed 3-5 cups a day showed lower risk of developing heart disease than patients who consumed less than 3 cups or who didn’t drink coffee at all! Staggering stuff. Researchers think that coffee can help to improve the circulation of blood and promote an overall healthy circulatory system. This efficient blood flow can also assist with a whole heap of healthy benefits. Like more blood flowing to your brain? You betcha!
Caffeine
Is your friend! Really! Okay, well maybe not if you down a double shot of espresso then try to hit the hay immediately after, but you get the idea. Caffeine itself is said to host some health promoting benefits, too. Oh course, caffeine can wake us up, keep us focused and alert, which certainly helps with longevity if you’re, you know, maybe driving or something. But caffeine can also potentially help speed up our metabolism and assist with burning calories and give us a leg up with weight loss. Caffeine can also certainly boost our physical as well as mental performance, which has some health benefits as well. For those going to the gym or who do lots of physical or manual labor or work, the caffeine boost can be a real godsend! And some additional studies also found that about 2 cups of coffee can even reduce the pain and soreness of that post-workout by almost half. Talk about a gym buddy!
Fiber!
This one may potentially have two really great benefits, depending on what you associate fiber with…So coffee can provide a person with a decent chunk of dietary fiber. Which, for those familiar with what fiber does to the body…may translate into some gut health. Being regular (no laughing, please) is conducive to a healthy body and the regulation of a healthy internal system. So score another, albeit maybe unseemly, win for coffee!
Coffee – the elixir of life
Okay so we might go that far. But some serious and recent medical studies and advancements have found out some rather astonishing facts about our caffeinated friend. Not only can coffee assist us with staying awake, and when prepared properly, tasting rather smashing, but it can also promote longevity and a healthy body and mind. Of course, as with all medical advice, always consult your doctor, physician and healthcare provider. Coffee, as ,mentioned many times, is a magical beverage, but it is isn’t really magic and cannot necessarily cure many of the diseases listed above. But it can potentially aid in keeping many of them at bay. So, for those looking for more reasons to brew, here are some longevity promoting reasons to down a cup or two. So, coffee anyone? I’ll take five!
Sources:
l “Another Cup? More Coffee Could Be Linked to Longer Life Span.” LiveScience, Purch, http://www.livescience.com/62970-coffee-risk-of-death.html.
l Gunnars, Kris. “Coffee and Longevity: Do Coffee Drinkers Live Longer?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 10 Jan. 2019, http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-coffee-makes-you-live-longer.
l “Health Benefits of Coffee.” Rush University Medical Center, http://www.rush.edu/health-wellness/discover-health/health-benefits-coffee.
l Shmerling, Robert H. “The Latest Scoop on the Health Benefits of Coffee.” Harvard Health Blog, 25 Sept. 2017, http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-latest-scoop-on-the-health-benefits-of-coffee-2017092512429.
