Six health benefits of drinking coffee

By Eniola Adegboyega

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. According to Google, about 1 billion people across  the world take at least one cup everyday, and for good reason too. Not only does it bolster your mental clarity, it also has a ton of other health benefits. Here are some surprising health benefits of drinking coffee:

Coffee can help boost your mood

What many of us have believed about coffee seems to be true as researchers have linked the drink with feelings of euphoria and happiness providing folks with the energy to go about the day’s activities. According to a research conducted by Cynthia Sass, a Los Angeles based dietician, regular consumption of coffee is linked to more positive emotions, including pleasure, kindness, affection, friendship, calm and even greater happiness. In the same research, there were no negative emotions associated with coffee consumption. Some studies show that in women, regular coffee intake is linked to reduced stress and depression. 

Coffee contains lot of antioxidants

Think of antioxidants as the good soldiers that battle free radicals or unstable molecules that damage the cells in the body if left unchecked. These unstable molecules are potentially causes of chronic health conditions such as heart diseases and diabetes. A recent study found out that coffee is the single greatest contributor to total antioxidant intake in Nigerian adults. One key antioxidant in coffee is called chlorogenic acid which is a beneficial plant-based compound that has been shown to reduce inflammation and blood pressure thus playing a large role in protecting against chronic diseases.

Coffee lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes

Another plus of drinking coffee is inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. This means that as your daily coffee consumption goes up, the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes reduces by 6% for each additional cup of coffee. According to a 2018 meta-analysis study, scientists say this may be thanks to coffee’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects to help burn calories and its impact on health protects gut microbes found in your gastrointestinal tract.

Coffee is tied to lower rates of many other diseases

Studies suggest that coffee consumption can also help against certain cancers, including breast, colorectal, endometrial and prostate as well as heart disease. Chances are, you’re well aware of the short-term benefits like increased alertness and improved memory that pop up within 24 hours of drinking coffee, but the beverage could also help your mind stay sharp long-term.

Coffee could help you become a better athlete

Ever noticed that you can lift heavier and run faster after a coffee-fueled energy surge? Coffee might help you recover from a tough workout too. Coffee has been shown to improve athletic performance, including reducing pain and allowing you to go a little bit harder, stronger, faster. It’s also been shown to improve strength and endurance and reduce muscle soreness. Also there’s some interesting research to show that after an exhausting workout, consuming coffee with a meal, especially carbohydrates, increases the ability to put back carbohydrate stores in the muscles called glycogen and being able to significantly increase those stores can lead to a better workout the next day because you have more energy to power through that workout.

Coffee prevents kidney stones

Adding black coffee to your diet is also helpful if you suffer from kidney stones. And if you don’t, then it will simply prevent the build-up of stones. This is because caffeine increases urination, which researchers believe expels excess amounts of calcium and sodium which are the main culprits causing kidney stones.