Coffee’s reputation has been a back and forth of good for you, bad for you, dating all the way back to the 1500’s when it was rumored to lead to illegal sex. But the most recent studies have found more benefits to drinking coffee than causes for concern.
Caffeine is a fast-acting stimulant that activates your central nervous system within 15 minutes of consuming it and can last up to 6 hours. The upside of this is it’s been linked to better cognitive performance, but the downside is your nervous system develops a tolerance and while it’s not recognized as an addiction, anyone that drinks coffee regularly knows the effects of caffeine withdrawal.
So what are the latest findings? The research has shown drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day is not only safe, it’s been linked to lower your risk of heart disease and premature death than of those who don’t drink coffee. And the multiple studies done on coffee and your health have also shown it can decrease your risks of stroke, Alzheimer’s Disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and multiple sclerosis. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health also found drinking 4+ cups per day have notably lessened the risk of early death from colorectal cancer.
But not everyone associates coffee as the delicious beverage that wakes you up. For those who struggle with the jitters, heartburn, or anxiety because of the caffeine, the good news is that many of these benefits were also found in decaf! This has researchers associating the benefits with the antioxidants found in coffee rather than the caffeine.
Coffee is the largest source of antioxidants for those who consume it and it contains some of the most powerful antioxidants with the greatest benefits including hydrocinnamic acids and polyphenols. What are those good for you ask? Our bodies undergo constant attacks by scavenger molecules searching for electrons known as free radicals. Free radicals can damage cells, proteins and even DNA. Hydrocinnamic Acid and polyphenols counteracts these free radicals and prevents the chemical imbalance they cause, in turn reducing the risk of diseases.
The jury is still out on whether the antioxidants in coffee are responsible for the health benefits studies continue to find. But what we can say is that the more research that has been done, the more the scales lean in favor of coffee being beneficial to your health.
All in all, if you’re a regular coffee drinker chances are, you’re reducing your risk of certain diseases. Just make sure you’re not countering those effects by dousing your coffee with sugar or creamers that are high in sugar and fat or drinking it at night when the caffeine can interrupt sleep.