5 scientifically proven benefits of coffee
Hot. Steamy. Delicious. No. I am not talking about my new boyfriend but about one of my best friends, who is always there for me and keeps me company every morning whilst I browse through Medium in search for interesting content — my daily refreshing cup of coffee. But as it turns out, it not only wakes up my senses, comforts me and uplifts me to let me know that I’ve got this and a beautiful day is upon me. No, that is only the beginning. The benefits a cup of coffee provides spread much wider than that. Let’s see what magical properties hide under its belt!
1. It’s a joy bringer
You may have noticed this one already. But a healthy amount of coffee can really pick up your mood and put a smile on your face. Results from a 2011 Harvard study show that women who drank 4 or more cups of coffee per day were less likely to suffer from depression, whilst another study showed that the same amount of coffee could reduce the possibility of death by suicide by 53%! My take on this is that 4 cups of coffee seems quite a lot but science says: “4 cups of coffee a day keep the doctor away!”. So… permission granted!
P.S. Did you know that Bach and Beethoven used to REALLY love coffee! And Beethoven actually counted 60 coffee beans for each of his cups. Find out more peculiar and interesting facts about the great composers here.
2. Acts as a “smart pill”
Amazing, isn’t it! Well, actually it makes us more vigilant and concentrated, which leads to us performing our daily tasks better and seem and feel smarter. As you (most likely) very well know, coffee is a stimulant and should really be drank with care. However we must acknowledge its immediate effect on our bodies, which is higher levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, which lead to enhanced firing of neutrons. This improves our energy and concentration levels, memory and reaction times!
3. Makes us fat-free
Not only one but several studies prove that caffeine aids in fat burning! It boosts our metabolic rate up to 11% and helps our bodies stay lean. Though this is true, the effect is less likely to be noticed in regular coffee drinkers. So for those of us who enjoy their passionate love affair with this gorgeous drink for a while now, we’ll just have to “settle” for the other benefits.
4. Prevents future health problems
It is well documented that drinking coffee improves our health and may prevent serious illnesses and conditions in the future, some of which are Parkinson disease, Alzheimer’s disease, heart failure, certain type of cancer (liver and colorectal) and type 2 diabetes or as David Lynch put it:
Even a bad cup of coffee is better than no coffee at all.
5. Protects our liver
Caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee, this delicious energy booster also has a protective effect on the liver — research shows that people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee per day have a healthy range of liver enzyme levels and up to 80% lower risk of developing liver related health illnesses such as cirrhosis.
For many of us our morning cup of coffee is our daily ritual which brings us joy and gifts us with a smile and (more importantly) the boost we need to meet the challenges of the day. But how much better it is to know that it’s not only okay to turn to its delicious taste 4 times per day but it is also science recommended!
Amazing.
And on that note I intend to put the kettle on, take out the French press and prepare for another date with my hot, steamy delicious cup of coffee… ☕️
