A cup of coffee or a cup of joy is synonymous to most of the people. To some, it gives the superpowers and to some, it is a liquid hug to their brain. To some coffee is the thing all they need. And if you are one of those enthusiasts for the coffee, you should continue to be, as for a variety of good reasons.
Coffee not only provides you with the energy levels to cope up with the daily hectic routine but also, it offers you a number of benefits to your skin, your brain and to your overall health. This is not what I am saying; it is what the scientists have proven, backed up with the research. So, wondering what are the health benefits of drinking coffee? If so, you are at the right place. This article is all about the love of your life – Coffee!
Coffee – An Introduction:
Coffee is considered to be one of the most popular drinks in the world. It is a brewed drink that has been prepared from the roasted coffee beans. The history of the coffee roots back to the centuries and is considered to be native to tropical America. Coffee beans are obtained from the coffee plant. There are several varieties of coffee including “Long Black Coffee”, “Green Coffee Drink” and Black Coffee etc.
The coffee cherries are harvested from the coffee tree in the form of green coffee beans, then these are roasted, brewed and ground to form multiple drinks including espresso, cappuccino, French press etc.
Coffee has a stimulating effect on the brain and has a slightly acidic taste because of its caffeine content. A number of studies conducted have shown that drinking black coffee is very good for health.
Let’s see how:
Some Surprising Benefits of Coffee:
You might have gone through various articles in the newspaper or on the internet regarding the negative effects of coffee. But you might not know that drinking coffee is simultaneously good for health and skin as well. This article is for all those maniacs who kept on looking for the reasons to drink coffee.
Benefits of Coffee on Skin:
There are a number of people looking for an answer to the question, is coffee good for your skin? Well, the answer to this question is a YES. So, if you are looking for the benefits of coffee on skin, then you are at the right place. There are a number of myths regarding coffee affecting the skin negatively, but in actual, it is a scientifically proven fact that coffee actually makes you prettier. The antioxidants packed in the coffee beans are actually good for your skin and makes your skin healthier and beautiful. So here’s how coffee offers beauty taking:
#1: Coffee Brightens your Face:
Having glowing and bright face is the dream of all, but unfortunately, it’s very difficult to get. But if you have a coffee jar in your kitchen cabinet, you don’t have to worry about it. Coffee for skin is the great brightener. The coffee scrub can help to cleanse pores, brighten the skin and exfoliate it. The acid in the coffee helps to maintain the pH of the skin and help to boost the protective layer of skin. This all helps to glow the skin and ultimately, help it look better and clear.
#2: Coffee Helps to Ward Off Skin Cancer:
Skin cancer has become prevalent for the last few years and the prevention for that is necessary. As to protect yourself from the harmful UV rays from the sun, you can replace all your expensive sunscreen products with a coffee jar. According to the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, slathering coffee over the burn-prone parts can help to fight cancer-causing UV rays and other harmful radiations coming out from the sun.
#3: It De-Puff Tired Eyes:
If you want to cut off your stress from the all-day hectic work routine, then coffee is the best thing that you can have. Any cream promising to lighten up your dark circles and unpack the under-eye bags, do contain caffeine that dehydrates and constricts the blood vessels. The vessel-constricting effect of the coffee is well-known to treat the puffiness of the eyes, thereby improving your look.
Benefits of Coffee on Overall Health:
Not only the skin, coffee has a range of benefits on the overall health of the consumer. A number of studies conducted have revealed that drinking a cup of coffee per day can lower the risk of several diseases as it packs some major nutrients and anti-oxidants as well. Although there are a number of benefits of coffee for health, but we have rounded up a few for you:
#1: Coffee Improves Energy Levels:
Caffeine, the active ingredient of brewed coffee blocks the neurotransmitter of the brain called Adenosine that ultimately leads to stimulant effect. This stimulant effect of coffee boosts up the energy levels and improves the functions of the brain and improves the mood.
#2: It Cut the Pain from the Body:
Well, yeah! Coffee also works as a pain killer for you as well. According to the study posted in Journal of Pain, two cups of coffee can cut the post-workout muscle pain by up to 48 percent. Drinking coffee black and decaf coffee benefits the muscle pain. So, if you are just feeling tired after your long work day or after an exhausting workout, all you need is a cup of strong coffee.
#3: Coffee Helps the Inflammation in the Body Caused by Any Disease:
Another major health benefit of coffee is that it helps in the disease-caused inflammation in the body and work well to reduce it. The caffeine present in the coffee has a great influence over the immune system of the consumer, so it can ward off diseases and inflammation caused by those diseases as well. This fact is backed up by the scientific evidence, that men and women who are in the habit of drinking coffee are less prone to inflammation than the people who don’t drink it. Moreover, it was also suggested that coffee consumers have more flexible blood vessels and lower blood pressure.
#4: Coffee is the Defense to Your Diabetes:
Diabetes is the silent killer and it is affecting almost half of the world’s population. But coffee is helpful against that killer too. According to the research conducted, people who drink black coffee have fewer chances of developing Type 2 diabetes in future, whereas the people with no habit if drinking coffee is at risk of developing the disease. Moreover, the statistics suggested that this risk of developing diabetes can decrease with the habit of drinking more and more coffee. Just make sure to limit your sugar!
#5: Coffee provides Protection against Several Diseases:
Coffee is used to help a number of diseases including:
- Liver Cirrhosis
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Heart diseases
- Colorectal cancer
- Gout
- Retinal Damage
Coffee contains several anti-oxidants and nutrients that help the body to cope with the above-mentioned diseases and thereby providing the longevity. It is suggested that people who drink coffee almost 3 times a day, have 24 percent fewer chances of dying with diseases.
#6: Coffee Beans Provides Plenty of Anti-Oxidants:
I have heard a lot of people wondering that can you eat coffee beans. As coffee beans are rich in anti-oxidants, so, the answer is yes. If you are looking to get some benefits from caffeine, you can always have coffee beans at hand. According to the study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, eating coffee beans and espresso coffee beans can clean free radicals out of your bloodstream and can do a lot for your immune system.
Disadvantages of Coffee:
Although with the advantages, there are a few coffee disadvantages that need to be considered before adding it to your lifestyle. Several health problems can be exaggerated if you continue to drink coffee including:
- Ulcer
- Heart Burn
- Digestive System Problems
Moreover, coffee is not considered to be good for pregnant women. Most women ask, can you drink decaf coffee when pregnant? Well, pregnant women should limit their coffee intake during that period, but if they still want to have some, they should stick to decaf one.
So, if you are looking for benefits of not drinking coffee, then you have it. But the coffee pros and cons go side by side. You can make the coffee healthier to get most of the benefits out of it by drawing out sugar from it and avoiding those terrible artificial creamers as well.
Some Coffee FAQs:
Regarding the coffee pros and cons, there are a number of people asking different questions about coffee. So, we have listed the answers to these questions so that you might not need to scratch your head anymore.
#1: Which Coffee to Drink?
While still there are a number of benefits of cold brew coffee and decaf coffee, but drinking caffeinated coffee has the greatest benefits than ever. This is due to the fact that the goodful anti-oxidants present in the coffee are removed during the decaffeination process.
#2: How Long Is Coffee Good For?
As far as the taste of the coffee is concerned, you need to immediately take your coffee as prepared. But the coffee that is left for a couple of hours might get mouldy and its taste becomes rancid. So, it is always recommended to drink the coffee immediately after its preparation.
#3: How Long Is Brewed Coffee Good For?
If you have brewed your coffee and wondering how long you can use it, then the answer is 7 days, if you are going to store it in the fridge. But if you go more than a week, then it might not be good for your health.
#4: How to Drink Black Coffee?
For the starters, it is very difficult to drink the black coffee. But you can love your black coffee if you try it using different coffees, different brewing methods, or change your mug. Moreover, you can gradually ditch the cream and sugar, so you can enjoy black coffee in all its glory.
#5: Does Black Coffee Have Sugar?
Well, the answer to this question is a big NO. Black means just the coffee and nothing else – No Sugar and No Cream!
#6: How to Drink Turkish coffee?
Turkish coffee is famous globally, because of its slight change in preparation method and ingredients. The pot is filled with the heaping spoon of Turkish Coffee Caffeine and milk. Sugar is added along with cinnamon. It is served with a glass of water, as a Turkish tradition.
#7: Is French Press Coffee Bad For You?
In a nutshell, French Press Coffee can be harmful to your health as it can significantly increase your cholesterol level and might stain your teeth. Moreover, it could also be harmful during pregnancy. However, if you love to have French Press Coffee, you can decrease its consumption to a certain level.
#8: Why Do People Like Coffee?
Well, the answer to this question is totally dependent upon the preferences of the people. But why avoid any drink having that many benefits? As discussed in the above article, coffee has great benefits for health and that could be the major reasons for some people to drink coffee.
So moral of the story, Coffee is the best thing that you can have. But have it in moderation!
Coffee improves my energy levels and also helps put me in a good mood! I usually take my coffee black, but lately, I’ve been using soy milk as well in my iced coffee.
Well that’s new for me too. I’ll definitely try.
So much to learn about coffee. I love the coffee scrub idea. Good read.
I’m glad you liked it Michelle. Cheers!