It’s difficult not to be a lover of coffee with its unique taste and uplifting warmth, especially on those mornings when it is difficult to get out of bed. Coffee is a staple drink for many Americans and people around the world and it is quite a versatile drink with the various blends and flavors on the market.
Coffee has received a bad rap in recent years, namely because it contains a rather high amount of caffeine which is considered to be a psychoactive substance. But some very prestigious studies are showing that coffee and caffeine are not as bad as previously thought and they may actually be good for you. Here are some of the proven benefits of drinking coffee.
It boosts energy
This is probably the most well-known and obvious benefit of drinking coffee. The caffeine in coffee acts in the brain in a way that improves alertness and focus. Interestingly enough it seems that caffeine doesn’t necessarily provide more energy, but just the perception of being more awake. Basically, it gives your brain a kickstart to move from it’s sleepy phase to a more awake phase in a shorter amount of time than without it.
It contains vitamins
Most people know that coffee is great for enhancing alertness, but not many people know that it can actually be a source of vitamins. This includes riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and niacin, which are important for nerve function and skin health. These vitamins aren’t well stored in the body, so getting a daily dose of them from a few cups of coffee is helpful for making sure you don’t develop a deficiency.
It controls blood sugar
Another interesting feature about coffee is that it can help to control blood sugar levels throughout the day. It helps to prevent rapid spiking and dropping of blood sugar which is responsible for feelings of hunger and tiredness. Coffee helps to keep your blood sugar steady so that you’re hungry less often and don’t hit those sugar lows.
It boosts your mood
Some studies have shown that coffee is a good way of fighting and preventing the blues. People who drink a few cups of coffee a day are associated with having better moods and higher levels of positive mood hormones.
It’s good for your liver
A rather interesting study found that drinking coffee is protective for your liver. This might be because of the caffeine or other substances in the coffee like cafestol. Cafestol stimulates the liver to produce another substance called glutathione, which is an important component in many detoxifying reactions in the liver.
It contains antioxidants
Coffee is an important source of antioxidants in a western diet. Antioxidants are essentially chemicals that react with toxins in the body that would otherwise cause recurrent damage to the various cells. They are an important focus of research at the moment because of their anti-aging and disease-preventing properties. Many vitamins are antioxidants and so they are thought to be on the same level of importance for health.
It’s a source of fiber
This is probably the most surprising fact about coffee, but each cup can provide up to 7 percent of your daily fiber. Multiply that by three or four cups of coffee and you arrive at an amount that is equal to some high-fiber meals. Fiber is an important part of your diet for various reasons including regularity, blood sugar control, and gut microbiome health.
