Have you heard the latest buzz about coffee? Could your morning ritual be seen as a delicious treat that also has a variety of health benefits, or is it a highly addictive substance that will shave years off your life?

Anything this good must be bad, right? In reality it is not the guilty pleasure everyone makes it out to be. Turns out there might be more than one reason to see the cute barista around the corner more often! The positive results keep pouring in… it might just be good for you!

Why you should wake up and smell the coffee:
• Coffee can aid weight loss.  Studies have shown that drinking coffee can increase your metabolism up to 11%. Coffee contains the stimulant caffeine which can help to improve your mental and physical capacities, inhibit your appetite and make you uber-focused in the gym.
• Trigonelline, the compound in coffee that makes it smell so good, have been shown to reduce cavities.
• Coffee is full of disease fighting antioxidants. In fact, it contains more than blueberries and broccoli!
• Coffee is great for your liver. A study published in 2006 that included 125 000 people over 22 years showed that those who drink at least 1 cup of coffee a day were 20% less likely to develop liver cirrhosis – an autoimmune disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption that could lead to liver failure and cancer.
• Coffee can make you feel happier. A study done by The National Institute of Health found that those who drink 4 or more cups of coffee were about 10% less likely to be depressed, than those who don’t drink java. The reason for this is those trusty antioxidants.
• Coffee acts as a mild antidepressant by aiding in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline. A study done by Harvard School of Public Health determined that drinking between 2 to 4 cups of coffee can reduce the risk of suicide by 50%.
• Coffee makes you smarter by improving your cognitive functions and blocking that brain slowing adenosine.
• Coffee boosts athletic speed and endurance and reduces muscle fatigue. Is this the latest sports drink? Contrary to what nutritionists have long thought, coffee does not dehydrate you; it actually hydrates and energises you.
• Studies show that 2 cups of java a day can cut your risk of colon cancer by 25%, gallstones by nearly 50% and Parkinson’s by a whopping 80%.
• Studies of nearly 90 000 men and women show that heavy coffee consumption, we’re talking more than 6 cups a day, slashed men’s risk of Type Two diabetes by 54% and women’s’ by 30%.

BUT, before hitting the coffee pot, remember, not all that glitters is gold.
Researchers still don’t know what derivative of caffeine or coffee reduces your risk of disease, and that’s why no-one is recommending it for disease prevention. Coffee does have some great health and weight loss benefits, but too much of a good thing can have a negative effect on your body.

Some people may react differently to caffeine; it could actually increase their appetites! Unfiltered coffee – such as Turkish coffee or coffee made with a French press can increase you LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, caffeine in coffee can have several negative effects such as temporary insomnia, nervousness, restlessness and irritability, rapid heartbeat and muscle tremors. In addition, a 2006 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that for people who metabolise caffeine slowly, drinking coffee can increase the risk of non-fatal heart attacks.

Although coffee may have fewer risks compared to benefits, being healthy means making good lifestyle choices on a daily basis. Researchers don’t discourage caffeine consumption, but do warn against caffeine in excess. A safe limit, according to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is around 4 cups of coffee a day.

Source: www.bodybuilding.com, www.huffingtonpost.com, www.womanshealthmag.com, gmb.io, www.webmd.com, www.livescience.com

DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.