5 Surprising Benefits of Coffee to Your Body

For many people, there’s nothing like waking up to the smell of freshly-brewed coffee. Coffee is a popular way to start the day not only because it tastes great but because it can give you a needed buzz to get the day started in a positive way.

But there’s more to coffee than just those benefits. Coffee also can create positive change in the bodies of those who consume it. Many people already know that coffee acts as a stimulant and can boost your metabolic rate, but there are a few more surprising benefits that most haven’t heard of before.

I wanted to share a few benefits that are truly exceptional and really show why coffee is one of the most popular beverages around the globe.

#1 Coffee Can Prevent the Development of Depression

While coffee isn’t going to cure anyone of depression, what it can do is help prevent the onset of depression in those who aren’t experiencing it. That is to say that coffee can fight depression and prevent it from manifesting at all. Harvard has done research into the matter and concluded that people who drink four or more cups of coffee a day have a 20% lower chance of suffering from depression. That’s not to say that coffee makes you happier, but I know having a cappuccino in my hand always lifts my mood.

#2 Coffee Can Improve Your Cognitive Power

Coffeehouses are often filled with individuals typing quickly on laptops or working on novels, but have you ever spent a moment wondering why? The reality is that drinking coffee can make your brain function better and faster than it would without caffeine. There’s a good reason for this! Coffee blocks one of the neurotransmitters in the brain called adenosine. This leads to better brain function and higher energy levels. It may not make you smarter, but it can make you a whole lot more productive.

#3 Coffee Helps Keep Your Liver Healthy

One of your most important organs is the liver, which carries out many important functions of the body. Surprisingly, coffee can keep it in tip-top shape. Studies done on the effect of coffee on the liver show that individuals drinking at least four cups a day are 80% less likely to go on to develop liver cirrhosis. That’s pretty impressive since it’s the worst possible disease the liver can get. That isn’t to say that it’s impossible to develop it, but you have a much better chance with a macchiato in your hand than without.

#4 Coffee Provides Protection Against Diabetes

Diabetes is a serious health issue and is constantly becoming more common in people in the United States. Taking precautions to avoid developing type 2 diabetes is one of the best things a person can do for their own health. The Harvard School of Public Health researchers pored through various studies and found some interesting information. Participants in studies who had increased their coffee intake by more than a cup over four years had 11% less of a chance to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those who had no change in their intake. That speaks to another reason that coffee each day can be super healthy.

#5 Coffee Can Increase Lifespan

It might seem crazy to think that coffee could make you live longer, but that’s exactly what researchers have found. In one large-scale study, it was discovered that men who consumed coffee had a 20% lower risk of death than those who did not. Women had even better results with a 26% less chance of death. Whether that’s because of the antioxidants in coffee or something else, it just goes to show that coffee can be a massive health benefit rather than having negative effects.

As you can see, coffee has a lot of health benefits that people largely aren’t aware of. The most surprising part is that there are far more than the five listed here. So, don’t feel guilty about enjoying a cup of coffee. There’s simply no reason to do so. Sure, having a lot of sugar and artificial creamers in your coffee may not be the healthiest option, but coffee itself is good for you and may even make you live longer.

Author: Wendy Wishart