There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly ground coffee in the morning, but your caffeine habit isn’t just expensive, it can have health benefits.
Early research suggested that drinking a cup of coffee could increase your risk of heart disease and asthma, “but looking at the evidence it doesn’t mean you should give up coffee, you should actually drink more.” ” says expert Professor Claire Collins. He completed his PhD in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales.
Around a third of Brits already drink several mugs a day, but a quarter limit themselves to one and a tenth drink two to three cups a week. There is.
“For people who are always thinking, ‘What else can I do to get healthy?’ or ‘I’m going to improve my health,’ one thing they want to continue doing is to keep drinking coffee,” Professor Collins said. To tell. .
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heart protection
For decades, coffee has been associated with poor heart health. However, research now consistently suggests that it can protect organs.
Scientists at the University of Colorado examined dietary and medical record data from more than 15,000 people and found that for every extra cup of coffee consumed per week, non-coffee drinkers had a lower In comparison, the risk of heart failure is reduced by 1 percent and the risk of stroke is reduced by 8 percent.
Experts attribute this effect to coffee’s biologically active compounds (compounds that have physiological effects on the body), of which there are more than 100. In particular, polyphenols are thought to reduce oxidative stress. It disrupts the balance between beneficial and harmful molecules in the body, causing inflammation and protecting the heart from damage.
However, all coffee studies are based on observational evidence, so they cannot prove that coffee improved the health of participants.
Compounds in coffee may protect against disease, but other factors may also be at play, such as coffee drinkers engaging in other healthy behaviors.
Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and eating a healthy diet are evidence-backed ways to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. However, research suggests that drinking coffee regularly may help prevent this condition.
A 2014 review by Harvard University researchers looked at 28 previous studies and found that people who drank one cup of coffee a day were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who didn’t drink coffee. did. The effect increased with each cup of coffee consumed, with risk reduced by up to 33% for those who drank six cups a day.
Scientists suggested that the acids in coffee may improve blood sugar levels, while the magnesium content in coffee may provide additional protection.
“Phytonutrients are [compounds produced by plants] Associated with that were caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid,” says Professor Collins, who is also co-director of the Food and Nutrition Research Program at the Hunter Medical Research Institute. “These two chemicals have been found to help muscles use up glucose in the blood.”
Possibility to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
Studies have repeatedly shown that coffee appears to protect against the development of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Canadian scientists who studied the phenomenon suggested in a 2018 paper that the effect may be due to a compound called phenylindane, which is produced when coffee beans are roasted.
These are thought to prevent the buildup of amyloid and a protein called tau that is toxic to brain cells.
cancer prevention
Studies have shown that some cancers, particularly liver cancer and uterine cancer, are less common among coffee drinkers. There is also some evidence that this drink may protect against mouth and skin cancer.
Although the exact mechanism behind this is unknown, Professor Collins says two phytonutrients found in coffee, called cafestol and kahweol, appear to be behind this effect.
“In fact, they have direct cancer-preventing effects that appear to be related to their anti-inflammatory abilities,” she says. “They are essentially the first line of chemicals that remove carcinogenic compounds.”
Professor Collins added that caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid are also thought to prevent the development of cancer by neutralizing harmful chemicals called free radicals.
mood and depression
The psychological effects of coffee are clear. You’ll feel more alert, alert, and energized for several hours after drinking one. But beyond these short-term changes, coffee appears to have long-term effects on mental health.
A review by Chinese researchers found that heavy coffee drinkers who drank four and a half cups of coffee a day had a 24 percent lower risk of depression than those who drank less than one cup a day. did. Day.
This is thought to be because the caffeine in coffee increases the expression of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as the “happy hormone” dopamine.
However, tolerance to caffeine varies from person to person, depending on body weight, metabolism, genetics, and whether you are taking certain medications. Drinking coffee may not only give you a boost of energy, but it can also cause anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia.
Weight management and metabolism
Not only is coffee low in calories, research suggests that it may increase your body’s ability to burn calories by activating brown fat.
The purpose of brown fat, which is usually stored around the neck, is to generate body heat by burning calories when exposed to cold temperatures. This is different from the more common white fat that accumulates when you eat too many calories.
