Coffee. Some call it java, lifeblood, brew, the brown nectar of the Gods- the list goes on.

It is one of the most customizable of beverages with over 30 different ways to prepare it, the methods ranging from very simple to requiring one to have a doctorate in barista-ism. The flavors can go from being bold and smoky or delicate and fragrant, and everywhere in-between. So other than resurrecting our energies from complete depletion, what are the other benefits of coffee?  

There are many different benefits to coffee drinking! The three most consistently agreed upon are that coffee provides antioxidants, it makes you less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and coffee can boost your metabolic rate.

According to the MayoClinic, antioxidants are substances that protect your cells against free radicals, which may play a role in heart disease and cancer. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food or when you’re exposed to tobacco smoke or radiation. Having a diet that’s full of antioxidants (aka: coffee) has been reported as a tool to help fight chronic diseases.  

Coffee reduces your risk of getting type 2 diabetes due to coffee impairing your gluten tolerance and decreases your insulin sensitivity. The studies on that were done with long-term coffee consumers. Lastly, caffeine increases the blood levels of a hormone called epinephrine. This hormone stimulates the nervous system, which directs the fat cells’ signals- causing them to burn fat! Also, decaf coffee is beneficial to one’s health as well! Despite having around 97% of its caffeine removed, its nutritional value is pretty much identical to its caffeinated counterpart, so all of the antioxidants are still present.  

However, there wouldn’t be benefits without risks.  With all heavenly things, the risk of over-indulgence is definitely present when partaking in coffee drinking.  According to the 2011 report by Masood Sadiq Butt and M. Tauseef Sultan entitled “Coffee and its Consumption: Benefits and Risks, “Risks associated with its excessive consumption involve insomnia, coronary complexities, and some others. Health disparities related to coffee consumption are often attributed to the consumption of an excess amount of caffeine or allied components present in its lipid fraction.”

In this same report, they state that drinking two to three cups of coffee daily can improve your digestion, sense of sensation, and improve cognitive functioning.  So as long as you consume coffee in a sensible and moderated way, you’ll be shielded from the aforementioned adverse effects.

With all that said, you’re now armed with the general knowledge of the health benefits of coffee!

Go enjoy a cafe au lait or an affogato (you can brew your own espresso at home with French Roast or Java Dark Roast and an espresso maker).

 

You deserve it!