The smell is something magical; it’s the smell that helps most of us wake up in the morning.
Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee every day, making them the largest coffee consumers in the world.
That first cup of coffee in the morning helps to give us the energy to take whatever the day throws at us.
But do you know what happens to your body if you drink coffee every day? The following list may surprise you.
1. Coffee makes you smarter
Do you start the day with coffee and something sweet?
Studies have shown that this can help boost your attention span and may improve concentration.
Researchers from the University of Barcelona have shown that the brain works more effectively when we consume caffeine and glucose together.
2. More happy thoughts
A cup of coffee in the morning can give you more energy and helps you to wake up but did you know it can also lower the risk of depression.
A study of more than 250,000 older adults was carried out by the American Academy of Neurology which found the beneficial effects of the antioxidants in coffee.
“This large prospective study suggests that frequent consumption of diet sweetened beverages
may increase depression risk among older adults, whereas coffee consumption may lower the risk,” a press release from the study stated.
3. Reduce the risk of diabetes
Diabetes is a group of diseases that affect the amount of glucose in the blood; over time the disease can have a devastating effect on the body.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common which affects the way our body process blood sugar. It accounts for 90 – 95 percent of diabetes cases in the world.
Studies show that heavy coffee drinkers are at lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
“People who drink four or more cups of coffee daily have a 50 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. And every additional cup of coffee brings another decrease in risk of almost 7 percent,” according to the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry.
4. Protects against Alzheimer’s disease
Italian scientists believe they know how much coffee you should drink to get the best protection against memory deterioration.
According to a study carried out on almost 1,500 people aged between 65 and 84 years old a cup of coffee a day keeps Alzheimer’s away – but no more or less.
The study looked at the development of Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) which increases a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia.
It found that those people who never or rarely consumed coffee and those who increased their coffee consumption over time were at a higher risk of developing MCI.
“Therefore, moderate and regular coffee consumption may have neuroprotective effects also against MCI,” as reported the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
5. Reduces the risk of heart disease
If you are worried about your heart you should perhaps try to drink three cups of coffee a day.
Researchers have studied the correlation between cardiac arrhythmias and caffeine intake.
It is thought at least 2.7 million people are living with Atrtial fibrillation (also called AFib or AF), which is a quivering or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.
The result published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, showed a common thread among the 23,000 people who participated in the studies. For those who drank coffee regularly, the risk of atrial fibrillation was significantly lower than for those who did not drink coffee as often.
6. Protects against Parkinson’s
Coffee is thought to help protect against Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have also discovered a genetic variant that offers protection against Parkinson’s disease, especially if you drink a lot of coffee.
7. It makes you appear more friendly
Something as simple as holding a cup of hot coffee can influence how strangers view us and it really does depend on the temperature of the drink.
In the October 24, 2008 issue of the journal Science, Yale University psychologists show that people judged others to be more generous and caring if they had a cup of warm coffee in their hands.
These traits were not prejudged in those who were holding a cup of iced coffee.
8. Can protect against cancer
Some studies suggest that coffee can reduce the risk of cancer, although it cannot cure anything.
For example, women who drink more than four cups of coffee per day have a 22 percent lower chance of developing uterine cancer than women who do not drink coffee, according to Live Science .
9. Coffee can save your liver
Researchers have observed how a couple of cups of coffee make a big difference in people suffering from cirrhosis.
A total of nine different studies, involving 430,000 people, concluded that coffee drinkers could avoid cirrhosis, especially people who drink alcohol.
Drinking at least one coffee a day reduces the risk of cirrhosis.
Well I knew before that coffee had several health benefits, but I didn’t realize how many.
Please share this story with all the coffee lovers you know.
