5 Reasons Why Your Coffee Addiction is Good for You

5 Reasons Why Your Coffee Addiction is Good for You

By Sasha Brown

Posted Monday, November 7, 2016 at 01:28pm EST

Keywords: benefits of coffee, caffeine benefits, coffee benefits

The modern day world loves coffee. You can find a Starbucks on almost every corner throughout the world. Every day, many people consume the steamy, aroma-filled, goodness to jump start their morning and get them going. Throughout the decades, there have been many studies done on the various effects of coffee and how it affects your health, and coffee-addicts everywhere will be pleased to hear that their need for coffee actually has fantastic health benefits. Listed below are a few reasons why your coffee addiction can actually be good for you.
It Can Make You Smarter

Caffeine is able to block the effects of adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter. The blocking action increases the release of dopamine and norepinephrine, and increases neuronal firing in the brain. The effects of caffeine have been studied and shown to improve cognitive function, reaction time, and memory.
Contains a lot of Antioxidants and Nutrients

Coffee outranks both fruits and vegetables combined as the biggest source of antioxidants in the western diet. A cup of coffee contains 2% of the RDA for vitamin B1 and B3, 3% of the RDA for potassium and manganese, 6% of RDA for vitamin B5, and 11% of the RDA for vitamin B2. So, even if it just looks like black water, it is actually chock-full of nutrients.
Helps with Weight Loss

Caffeine has the ability to increase the oxidation of fatty acids and raises metabolism. During two meta-analyses, caffeine showed to increase physical performance by 11-12%. Caffeine has been known to suppress the appetite, and with the extra energy boost, gives you the extra push to work out harder.
Mood Booster

Because caffeine boosts dopamine production, it’s no wonder why people are in a much better mood after having a cup of coffee in the morning. During a study done in 1993, found that people who drank coffee were less likely to commit suicide; while another study, done in a course of a decade, found that women, who consumed four or more cups of coffee per day, were 20% less likely to suffer from depression.
May Lengthen Your Lifespan

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that people who drank at least a cup of coffee, per day, had a lower risk of death from lifestyle-related health problems over a decade. Another epidemiologic study found that coffee consumption in people with type II diabetes, showed that they had a 30% lower risk of death over two decades.
Conclusion

Although coffee has many health benefits, you should always remember to have everything in moderation. To optimize the health benefits in coffee, it’s best to leave out the unhealthy elements that we usually like to add—such as sugar and cream. You should also avoid drinking caffeine in the afternoon and evening as it is known to affect sleep; and for those of you who are sensitive to caffeine, it’s best to avoid it as it can cause side effects like nausea, headaches, and anxiousness.

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7369170
http://www.drinkal.com/who-can-drink-coffee/
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1112010#t=article
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/beverage/health-benefits-of-coffee.html