Coffee Can Extend Your Life. What Are Its Secrets?
Is coffee healthy or harmful to the human body? This question has been researched by scientists around the world for several decades. The results show that coffee is not just a source of energy, which many people require each morning - it really benefits our health. Scientists have even come up with the claim that drinking coffee regularly prolongs life. What miraculous substance is concealed in coffee and what diseases will it help prevent?
The Antioxidants in Coffee Positively Affect Our Health
Coffee is an important source of antioxidants. It even contains a higher percentage of antioxidants than green tea and some fruits. It neutralises free radicals, which cause premature ageing, degenerative brain disorders, and weakening of the nervous and immune systems.
Scientists are of the opinion that coffee can deliver up to 70% of the antioxidants needed in our diets to protect our cardiovascular system and to suppress cancer.
Coffee with Caffeine Prevents Many Serious Diseases
The caffeine contained in coffee is bitter and contributes to its overall flavour. One cup of coffee contains between 0.05g and 0.2g of caffeine, depending on the type and quality of the coffee. A therapeutic dose is about 0.1g. Caffeine promotes fat burning and helps the body prevent serious illnesses (which you will learn about later). For coffee, like everything else, the same rule applies; everything in moderation. Too many cups a day can cause harm rather than benefit. Drinking more than 5 cups of strong coffee in a short period often causes irritability, stress, restlessness, digestive disorders, a rapid heartbeat, and insomnia. However, if you drink sparingly, it is beneficial.
Different types of coffee contain different caffeine levels. What types of coffee are trending in recent years?
The Largest Research of its Kind Shows a Lower Risk of Death for Coffee Lovers
Claims of the health benefits of coffee are supported by lot of research. Based on one of the latest major studies, scientists have concluded that there is a direct link between regular coffee drinking and a lower risk of sudden deaths caused by heart failure, stroke, and liver disease. With each cup, the health benefits of coffee increase.
The largest research of its kind has lasted more than 16 years, with over 520,000 respondents from ten European countries taking part in it. The study found that men who drank three or more cups of coffee during the day reduced the risk of death by 18%, women by 8% compared to people who did not drink coffee at all. The study also examined the results of blood tests from 14,800 respondents. They were surprising. Coffee lovers have better results in many areas, including liver enzymes and glucose levels.
"We know that many of these biological factors are related to various negative health implications, so it's important information for us," said Marc Gunter, co-author of a study from the International Agency for Cancer Research.
But experts warn that the published study does not say that drinking coffee will automatically reduce the risk of premature death in every individual. It only points out that it can help prevent the health problems that cause death.
"It's not necessarily just about drinking coffee. There are other factors, such as a healthy lifestyle and others that could be part of the positive outcome of research," said Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic medicine at Glasgow University, while pointing out that in order to prove the effectiveness of coffee to reduce the risk of death, further detailed tests are required. The authors of the study also agree with this.
"These are just observational studies. On this basis, we can not say clearly that if you drink coffee, you will live longer," says Veronica Setiawan, associate professor of preventive medicine at Southern California University and author of another significant research about the influence of coffee on reducing the risk of death.
For the time being, it is unclear what bioactive ingredients of coffee, except antioxidants and caffeine, could be beneficial to health.
9 Reasons to Drink Coffee
Coffee is reasonably harmless. It's even one of the healthiest beverages on the planet. It can prevent serious illness and improve our health. Studies have shown, for example, that coffee:
1. Helps burn fat
Caffeine speeds up the metabolism and increases fatty acid oxidation, resulting in fat burning. That's why we can find it in most weight loss products.
2. Reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Scientists have shown that people who drink more coffee have a risk of 23-50% less than those with type 2 diabetes. Each additional cup of coffee reduces the risk of this disease developing by another 7%.
3. Increases physical performance
Caffeine from coffee increases the level of adrenaline and releases fatty acids from fatty tissues. This leads to a significant improvement in physical performance by up to 12% on average.
4. Contains important nutrients
The single cup of coffee contains:
- Riboflavin (vitamin B2): 11% of the recommended daily dose
- Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5): 6% of the recommended daily dose
- Manganese and potassium: 3% of the recommended daily dose
- Magnesium and niacin (vitamin B3): 2% of the recommended daily dose
Most people drink more than one cup a day. The important nutrients pile up.
5. Makes us smarter
The caffeine contained in coffee also affects our mind. After drinking coffee, it enters the bloodstream and from there, it enters the brain where it blocks the inhibitory neurotransmitter adenosine. This increases the amount of norepinephrine and dopamine, which leads to the acceleration of neurons, and it fuels us like geniuses. Many research studies have also shown that coffee improves memory, mood, reaction speed, and more.
Do you know about International Coffee Day? After a cup of espresso, you will definitely remember.
6. Protects against Alzheimer's disease and dementia
Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease and the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for it. However, there are several preventative steps we can take to avoid the disease. A healthy lifestyle is the foundation. Another effective prevention is coffee drinking, which according to studies reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 65%.
7. Reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, just after Alzheimer's disease. It is caused by the death of neurons generating dopamine in the brain. As with Alzheimer's disease, there is no known treatment. Coffee will help in this case too. Coffee lovers suffer from Parkinson's 32-60% less. It seems caffeine causes this because decaffeinated coffee does not have the same results.
8. Protects the liver
Coffee also protects the liver from cirrhosis. People who drink 4 or more cups a day have up to 80% less risk of their livers hardening.
9. It does not cause heart disease and reduces the risk of stroke
It is often claimed that caffeine increases blood pressure. This is true, but only to a small extent. With regular coffee drinking, the body gets used to it and it barely affects blood pressure. This does not apply to all people. Therefore, if you have difficulty with your blood pressure, drink coffee in moderation. The idea that coffee causes heart disease is another myth that many studies refute. In fact, it helps the body prevent them and reduces the risk of stroke.
If you are serious about your health, you should not miss out on a coffee maker and quality coffee.
