If you’re among the 35% of the American population who aren’t coffee lovers, you’re about to become one.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee can awaken anyone from their deepest slumber, and for some of us, the ritual of making this beverage first thing in the morning is almost sacred.
Coffee can jolt you back to reality even the alarm clock fails to do so, work as a pick-me-up during lunch break in the afternoon, and even as a pre-workout to boost your energy and focus in the gym. Is there anything a hot cup of Joe can’t fix?
But given our caffeine addiction, one has to wonder if it’s any good for us. The good news is that coffee has a ton of benefits that make it one of the healthiest beverages on the planet. The bad news is that its cons start to outweigh the pros once you start having too much of it. For now, let’s focus on the pros.
Happiness in a Mug
A study conducted a few years ago called coffee a ‘happy juice’ because of its positive impact on emotions and your overall mood.
This was backed by another research conducted on 50,000 women by Harvard University in which it was determined that the beverage actually helped in reducing depression and sadness.
Antioxidant Boost
Coffee is made from roasted beans, which are actually seeds in a fruit rich in antioxidants. Studies have found coffee to be the biggest antioxidant source in our diet, which protects us against cancer-causing free radicals and inflammation.
Reduced Risk of Disease
Because Coffee contains antioxidants that protect against inflammation, this automatically lowered our risk of type 2 diabetes, as shown in a 2018 meta-analysis which showed that each cup of coffee reduced the risk of diabetes by 6%. This could be because of caffeine’s natural fat-burning properties, which is why it is an active ingredient in fat-burning pills.
Protection Against Other Diseases
Coffee doesn’t just give us protection against diabetes, but also a host of other diseases like certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. This, again, may be linked to coffee’s antioxidant properties that fight against cancer-causing free radicals in our body.
Coffee also offers other incredible benefits such as protecting our brain against cognitive decline and keeping us alert all day so that we can make the most of our productivity.