Top 5 benefits you may not know about drinking your favorite coffee

If you’re looking for the perfect excuse to indulge in your favorite coffee, here are the top five reasons you can sit back, relax and enjoy!

1. Longer Life – A recent study done by the National Cancer Institute found that individuals who drink coffee on a regularly are likely to live longer than those who don’t. The study was done with 400,000 people of all ages who drank both regular and decaf, which ever they liked best. Although the reasoning behind this still isn’t clear, many scientists think it’s due to the many antioxidants that are naturally found in coffee.

2. Disease Prevention – In a study done by Harvard, researchers found that drinking one to three cups of coffee per day can benefit the health dramatically. Did you know that just by drinking one to three cups per day can reduce your risk of diabetes. Though I don’t recommend drinking six cups per day, the study shows that drinking six or more cups per day can even further decrease that risk. This study also showed that the development of Parkinson’s disease could be decreased by 80% and risk of colon cancer could be decreased by 25% for coffee drinkers. The Journal of Nutrition also did research that showed women who consumed four or more cups of coffee per day could decrease their chances of developing breast cancer by 40%.

3. Working Out – Before you head to the gym, consider drinking a cup of your favorite brew. You may not know it, but this will release endorphins in your body within only a few minutes. Once these are released, you will be in a better mood and actually feel like you want to exercise! Endorphins will increase your performance and can also help you workout longer and harder. If you want to have better performance when you’re exercising, a cup of coffee can help pick up your mood and your feet.

4. Cognitive Function - Do you sometimes have a cloudy mind and can’t quite figure out what to do or say? This can be stressful whether you’re at work or trying to get things done at home. Drinking coffee on a regular basis can actually help and increase your cognitive abilities. Researchers in California performed short term memory tests, cognitive ability tests and awareness tests for individuals before and after they drank coffee on a regular basis. The results showed that individuals, specifically women in their senior years, benefited from regular coffee drinking. It helped improve their thinking abilities so they were better at problem solving and daily tasks.

One theory of why this works is because the caffeine in coffee prevents plaque buildup of beta-amyloid. When this plaque is reduced, the brain can function more smoothly and things like Alzheimer’s disease may even be prevented. There are many other theories out there as to why coffee boosts cognitive function. These theories differ based on the study and the science that is used.

5. Stroke - The Department of Family Medicine found that chances of stroke could be reduced by drinking more than one coffee per day. Plus the risk of stroke decreased by 25% for the women who were in this study. Your favorite cup of coffee is filled with antioxidants. The antioxidants will also neutralize free radicals that can cause you to gain weight or have certain health issues. With more antioxidants in your body, the better you'll look and feel! Cheers!

Contributor Courtesy of: Dave Roberts/Health & Medicine