With 83% of adults drinking coffee every day, it’s no wonder we often get the question –
“Is coffee good for you?”
The answer, as in the case with many things we consume, is yes and no.
The big benefit to drinking coffee is the massive amounts of antioxidants. These fight against toxins in our environment and can help slow the aging process.
Is that a good enough reason to drink coffee? Well as long as you aren’t getting additional toxins from your coffee (more about that at the end).
Here are some more ways coffee can actually be good for you –
Boost Energy Levels
This may be most obvious. When you drink coffee, the caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels to the brain. This can improve memory, mood, reaction times, and energy levels for a limited period of time.
However, if you are chronically low on energy refueling throughout the day with caffeine may not be the answer. It’s best to get to the root cause of your energy problem and use coffee as a morning fire starter or early afternoon pick me up.
Improve Physical Performance
Caffeine stimulates the nervous systems to increase adrenaline – your “fight or flight” hormone. This effect can even send signals for your body to break down fat cells in your body to be used for more energy.
Therefore, a strong cup of coffee about a half hour before you hit the gym may make sense for you. In addition, studies show coffee allows athletes to increase power output, increase speed, and train longer.
Better Brain Function
Coffee also has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain. This, in turn, can improve cognitive function and memory.
Recent studies have shown coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing diseases related to brain function including Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, and Dementia.
Lower Disease Risk
Several common and chronic diseases are shown in recent studies to be positively affected by coffee consumption. One showed a 20% lower risk of stroke in coffee drinkers and other indicated a significantly reduced risk of developing Type II Diabetes.
Could it actually save your life? Maybe. In two studies spanning about two decades, drinking coffee was associated with a 20% lower risk of death in men and a 26% lower risk of death in women.
So what’s the downside?
Of course, there are also negative side effects of drinking too much coffee. Caffeine can be addictive, which results in many people overdoing it. In this case, it can overstimulate the nervous system, overtax the body, and cause burn out.
To avoid the downside, it’s best to consume coffee in the morning or early afternoon. The caffeine can affect your body up to 12 hours, late afternoon and evening consumption can affect your sleep cycles.
It’s also important to consider what type of coffee you are drinking. The plant is one of the most highly sprayed with pesticides. Therefore, buying Organic is super important to get the antioxidant benefits without consuming added toxins.
As with most things, the answer to the “Is coffee good for me?” question is . . .
It can provide great health benefits as long as it is consumed in moderation. Ideally, 1-2 cups of Organic coffee a day should allow you to reap the benefits without the downside.
