I love coffee. One cup every morning, that’s all I need to kick start my day. Not only does it taste great, its aroma is deliciously arousing, it wakes me up and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
There’s something about holding and slowly sipping a nice, hot, creamy cup. It makes you feel good inside. So many of us around the world must have a cup or two (or more!), we simply can’t do without. But why do we love it so much?
Here are 8 key benefits of consuming this beverage:
- Boosts your focus and productivity: it can sharpen your focus by giving you more energy and making you feel less tired. The caffeine travels into the bloodstream and improves the brain’s function including memory, mood, energy levels and reaction times.
- Contains a range of essential nutrients including vitamins B3 (magnesium and niacin), B2 (riboflavin), B5 (pantothenic acid), manganese and potassium.
- Can help you to lose weight: it contains caffeine that increases fat burning by speeding up your metabolism.
- Can protect your liver: it can protect your liver against cirrhosis which is a late stage of fibrosis of the liver caused by chronic alcohol consumption, fatty liver disease and hepatitis.
- Makes you feel good: it can lift your mood, reduce depression and make you a happier person.
- Can lower the risk of cancer: it can lower the risk of developing liver and colorectal cancer, which are leading causes of cancer worldwide.
- A great source of antioxidants: it is high in antioxidants, which is a substance that protects your cells against free radicals. It reduces the risk of many types of diseases including heart disease and cancer.
- Can lower your risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease: this disease is a neurodegenerative condition that affects more than ten million people worldwide and it is estimated to affect nearly 150,000 people in the United States alone.
As you can see, there are many benefits of consuming caffeine daily. It not only tastes great and smells amazing, it’s also good for you when consumed in moderation.
To enhance its taste some people add sugar, cream and flavouring such as caramel, vanilla, chocolate and coconut. Of course, adding these extras is not so great for your health.
This beverage is best consumed without added sugar and using low fat or dairy free milk (or no milk at all!). There are many excellent dairy free milk options now available in stores including almond, macadamia, oat, coconut, rice and soy milk. Personally, I prefer the taste of oat, almond and soy milk as they complement its taste.
What are the risks?
Over consumption can result in undesirable consequences such as anxiety, high blood pressure, digestive issues, frequent urination, rapid heart rate, fatigue, insomnia and addiction.
Overall
It is a healthy beverage that has so many benefits for your health when it’s consumed in moderation.
Over consumption can lead to serious health complications and undesirable side effects which negatively impact your day-to-day living.
The amount of caffeine a person can safely consume varies, depending on their personal situation. It is recommended that you monitor how it affects your mood, energy levels, sleeping patterns and digestion to determine how much caffeine you should consume per day.
Enjoy!
