In the morning you want a good cup of coffee, for many there is no other way to start the day. It also accompanies breaks at work or puts the final icing on meals. But coffee is much more than this, with each cup we drink during the day we are taking advantage of the many benefits of coffee.
Coffee, one of the most consumed beverages in the world, has been investigated by numerous scientific studies. The latest studies carried out confirm that moderate consumption of coffee has health benefits that go beyond its stimulating capacity of caffeine. It is true that some of the benefits of coffee are due to caffeine, but coffee contains many other nutrients and components, so decaffeinated coffee also has benefits. Drinking about three cups of coffee a day, be it coffee or soluble, helps you as follows:
It is rich in antioxidants
One of the greatest benefits of black coffee is that it is a drink rich in antioxidants, especially polyphenols, which are partly absorbed by the body.
Coffee is one of the richest plant products in antioxidant compounds. These antioxidants are especially present in green coffee beans and although some is removed by roasting, the truth is that roasted coffee is still a good source of them.
Coffee is especially rich in polyphenols that act against free radicals and some heavy metals that cause tissue aging and help prevent diseases and maintain good health in general.
activate the mind
Caffeine is the component of coffee that stimulates and activates us. It is also responsible for improving some cognitive functions, such as speeding up brain processes and improving memory. One of the great benefits of drinking coffee is that it helps us to be more awake, attentive and focused throughout the day.
Coffee against sporadic headache
Caffeine, due to its vasodilator properties, helps fight headaches and increases the effect of anti-analgesics. For this reason, among the benefits of coffee with milk is that it can also help eliminate a slight headache.
On the other hand, the consumption of more than 3 cups of coffee a day is not recommended for those who suffer from migraines habitually since it can be one of the triggers, among many other factors.
It is suitable for athletes
Coffee is also healthy for those people who practice sports or have to make a significant physical effort. Caffeine acts on the nervous system and causes fatigue to be perceived later and therefore increases performance. In addition, among the benefits of coffee is the fact that it helps to be alert and more concentrated, two factors that are also important for athletes.
Contributes to weight loss
Caffeine is part of many compounds, creams and products designed to lose weight by burning fat. This is because caffeine speeds up thermogenesis, a metabolic process in the body that helps burn more fat. Thus, coffee is useful to help lose weight, but always as a complement to a balanced diet rich in vegetable products and the practice of physical exercise. In addition, in these cases we must consume coffee alone, without sugar or milk.
It has often been noted that one of the benefits of giving up coffee is avoiding fluid retention, which is another factor in weight loss. The truth is that coffee, like other energy drinks, can help retain more fluids in the body, but it is not the only one. There are many other factors that influence fluid retention such as salt intake, sedentary lifestyle, certain medications and not drinking enough water during the day.
It can protect against cancer, stroke and coronary heart disease
The largest study on coffee consumption that has been carried out lately is the one carried out by the US National Cancer Institute in 2018. Its conclusions on the benefits of coffee are surprising: the higher the consumption of coffee, the lower the mortality rate from cancer, stroke and coronary heart disease. This is an ambitious observational study whose conclusions cannot be taken as definitive, but it does provide relevant and interesting information for further studies on the properties of coffee and its effects on health.
Fight Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
For several years, the relationship between coffee consumption and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s has been studied. The conclusion of all of them is that regular consumption of coffee reduces the probability of suffering from these ailments in the future.
Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
Another benefit of drinking coffee for health is that it reduces the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Several studies link a consumption of three or four cups of coffee a day, also decaffeinated, with a 25% less chance of suffering from this type of diabetes. The mechanisms by which coffee influences the development of this disease are not clear, but it could be due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and thermogenic effect.
It’s good for the heart
We have already seen that among the advantages of coffee is that it protects against coronary diseases. Coffee has traditionally been associated with an increased risk of heart disease due to the stimulating effect of caffeine. The truth is that not only is it not dangerous, but drinking coffee is good for the heart and can even be taken by some hypertensive people, since its effect on hypertension is not as important as it was supposed in the past.
A study published in the journal American Heart Association indicates that the consumption of up to four cups of coffee a day has a cardioprotective effect and this is thanks to antioxidants. In this sense, decaffeinated coffee has the same effect on the heart without the discomfort that caffeine can cause in some people.
The pleasure of having a good coffee
Without a doubt, coffee has properties and direct benefits for health. But above all, having a good coffee is a pleasure. It is the gesture of every morning when waking up, to start the day on the right foot. Coffee unites us, favors social relationships when we meet for coffee and chat. There is no doubt that coffee puts us in a good mood, and this is also a great benefit for our health.
