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National Coffee Day is September 29. How do you take your cup of joe? While we all know about coffee’s ability to wake us up and give us the fuel we need to take on the day, did you know that drinking coffee also confers some excellent health benefits? Go on, brew a cup, grab a comfortable chair, and dig in as we breakdown the beneficial properties of coffee.
It Cools You Down
Perhaps the most surprising benefit that comes from drinking coffee is that it can cool you down on a hot day. It may seem counterintuitive that a piping hot drink could have a cooling effect but the science is sound. The key is to drink something that is hotter than your current body temperature; that added heat will make you sweat. The increased sweating is where the cooling comes in: all that perspiration will evaporate, which cools the skin and brings down your body temperature.
One thing to keep in mind: sweating can dehydrate you, so it’s important to drink water before and after having coffee so you don’t sweat yourself into a dehydrated state.
It Could Decrease the Risk of Parkison’s & Alzheimer’s
Caffeine isn’t the only transformative element in coffee. Coffee contains more than 1,000 different compounds, which include amino acids and fatty acids. Studies have found that some of these fatty acids have neuroprotective qualities that could reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and degenerative cognitive conditions like Alzheimer’s.
It’s Good for Heart Health
Research has found that drinking coffee in moderation can reduce the risk of heart disease by 15 percent. Studies have also found a correlation between drinking coffee and a lower risk of stroke. It’s important to note that moderation is the key word here: too much coffee can cause health issues and exacerbate existing conditions. For most adults up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is safe: that’s about four cups of brewed coffee.
If you have blood pressure issues, talk with a doctor as you may need to moderate or severely limit your coffee intake as caffeine can have a serious impact on your blood pressure levels.
It Can Protect Your Liver
Another protective benefit of coffee is that it can help keep your liver healthy. Research has found that coffee drinkers are more likely to have more balanced and healthy liver enzyme levels than people who don’t drink coffee. Coffee contains antioxidants and other compounds that help break down glucose, reduce inflammation, and triggers a process known as autophagy in which damaged cells are removed from the body. Coffee also acts as an inhibitor of adenosine receptors, which have been tied to fibrosis and liver injury.
It Energizes You
Speaking of adenosine receptors: they’re the reason why coffee is such an effective way to kick-start your day. Adenosine receptors moderate and inhibit the levels of other neurotransmitters in your brain that are responsible for regulating your energy levels. When you feel tired and sleepy, it’s because in part your adenosine receptors have lowered your neurotransmitters down to a point that induces drowsiness. What caffeine does is block your adenosine receptors, which in turn increases the efficacy and levels of your other neurotransmitters. You feel less sleepy and more alert because the “brake” in your brain has been temporarily locked by caffeine.
Article by Austin Brietta
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