With coffee being the 3rd most popular beverage in the world, after water and coca cola, it’s nice to know what the health benefits are of this drink so many of us know and love.
I don’t claim to know all the health benefits of coffee, and I’m not in the medical field, but this is from research I’ve found because I’m curious about the health benefits of coffee myself. Especially because I drink it pretty much every single day!
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There has been quite a bit of research and conflicting opinions about the effects on health when it comes to drinking coffee. But there are many thousands and I suppose millions of people who have drunk coffee and maybe multiple cups every day of their lives for years, and lived long lives with no health problems directly due to coffee.
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We all know that coffee is good for the soul, of course. I mean, there are some days I don’t know how I would function the morning without it. And thankfully, it’s something that’s good for the soul and good for the body. It can only be unhealthy or bad if you have it excessively… like most things in life. Some other wonderful things like ice cream are also very good for the soul, but not good for the body!
So here are a few of the health benefits of coffee:
Improved Brain Function
Along with the energy boost of caffeine, there is also an improvement in brain function that happens when you drink that morning (or afternoon, or evening) Joe.
One effect that caffeine has it that it leads to increased dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is one of the “happy chemicals” of the brain. More specifically, current research seems to find that the release of dopamine is linked with motivation and is released when we achieve a desired outcome, i.e. when we attain a goal or just get something we desire.
So caffeine can help boost motivation.
But this, along with other chemical effects of caffeine in the brain, leads to more mental clarity, increased memory, increased drive and motivation, and other uplifting outcomes.
Contains Essential Vitamins And Minerals
Have you taken vitamin C(offee) today? Ok that’s a bad joke. But it is true that coffee has vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Coffee contains:
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B5
- Manganese
- Potassium
- Antioxidants
Coffee is a plant after all, 100% natural! Just as a little piece of trivia, the name of the genus of the coffee plant from which we use the beans to drink is called Coffea.
There’s not much more to say about this point, except that it’s pretty great that we get at least a bit of nutrition when we drink coffee! The percentage is small, ranging from about 2 – 11% of the recommended daily intake for these. So don’t think that you’re taking your daily multivitamin supplement when you drink coffee. It does add up, though, if you have at least a few cups.
Coffee is also very rich in antioxidants.
Can Help Prevent Alzheimers And Parkinson’s Disease
Both Alzheimers and Parkinson’s disease are neurodegenerative conditions. These are diseases that we all want to avoid. I have seen the devastating effects of Alzheimers firsthand, it’s a terrible disease and painful to watch a relative or loved one suffer from it.
Studies have shown that drinking caffeinated coffee makes you up to 65% less likely to develop Alzheimers, and 32 – 60% less likely to develop Parkinson’s.
Since coffee aids with the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine (as mentioned above) and norepinephrine, it is helpful in preventing these neurodegenerative conditions. So it not only has a nice short term energy boost for some hours when you drink it, the long term benefits are also significant.
Beneficial For Your Liver
Various studies have shown that coffee can have major benefits for your liver. One of the main ways it helps the liver is by reducing the risk of cirrhosis by up to 80%.
There are different problems that can lead to liver cirrhosis (the replacement of the liver with scar tissue), including excessive alcohol or fructose consumption.
Coffee also helps prevent liver cancer.
These are just a few of the ways that it’s helpful for the liver. It also can lower the risk of gallstone disease.
Good For Heart Health
Yes, you did read that right! People have traditionally said that coffee is not good for your heart and can increase risk of heart disease.
And of course we’ve seen in recent years with different health crazes coming and going that one study will show that a certain food is super healthy, and then the next study will show that this food will kill you.
But there have been at least a few studies in the last 10 years that show that coffee may be in fact beneficial for your heart. One study from 2012 showed that coffee decreased the risk of heart failure by 11%. 
Whatever the effect of coffee truly is on heart health, the idea that it is just bad for your heart seems to be unfounded. Studies simply have not proven that coffee increases the risk of heart disease. As in the study mentioned here, there may be increasing evidence that coffee, in moderate amounts, can actually be good for heart health.
Now, Go And Drink From The Fountain Of Youth
Coffee is black gold, cupped lightning, liquid energy, God’s blessing, morning thunder, the lifeblood of dreams, breakfast of champions, the fountain of youth, and of course so much more. 
I don’t pretend to think that coffee is all good for you though. If you feel any adverse effects from drinking coffee, you should decrease your coffee consumption. Some negative side effects of coffee can be increased stress, stomach discomfort, sleeplessness, and others. These are mild in nature though, with no long term adverse effects, and are almost always eliminated by decreasing the amount of coffee consumption.
The fact is that coffee has more short term and long term benefits than it does negative health impacts. It just needs to be consumed in moderation. Another important point is that different people can handle different amounts of coffee. Some people can handle 10 cups of coffee a day and be perfectly fine, while others could only have 3 cups a day. Always make sure to listen to your body!
With that in mind, isn’t it great to know that not only does it feel wonderful to have that morning pick-me-up, but to know that there are multiple health benefits that come with it? I think so!
If you are interested in buying probably the most low-acidic, healthy and delicious coffee you can find, I would highly recommend this brand. The lower the acidic content in coffee, the healthier it is for you. Take a look at their amazing reviews and their shop. It is well worth the price to buy a more healthy and delicious coffee!
If you want a very thorough and scientific article presenting studies on coffee and it’s health effects, you can visit this link.
And with that being said, I’ll be back later, I’m just going to go make some coffee.
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