For many, a morning cup of coffee can feel like a guilty pleasure. We’re convinced that it isn’t good for us, yet we return to that sweet nectar day in and day out. After all, what better way to start the day than with the smell of beans and that caffeine fix to wake us up?
But, what if we were to tell you that coffee drinking needn’t be the dirty secret that you treat it as? Admittedly, this is very much a case of moderation being key. Excessive coffee drinking can, after all, lead to severe energy crashes. Not to mention that coffee can cause dental staining and bad breath that will leave you with no choice but to look into the cost of teeth cleaning. Still, when approached right, the health-based evidence primarily leans in coffee’s favor.
Recent years, particularly, have seen a slew of reports emerging about how even around four cups of coffee a day can help you look after yourself. And, we’re going to delve into some of the most notable benefits here.
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An intelligence boost
You knew coffee gave you energy, but did you realize that it also provides a boost to your intelligence? At least, that’s what countless studies have revealed, and it’s mostly down to caffeine. As well as boosting you up, small doses of caffeine have the benefit of blocking an inhibitory neurotransmitter called adenosine. Thus, coffee can increase the neuronal firing in your brain and encourage the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and more. According to evidence, this can lead to improved brain function, reaction time, and memory, among other benefits. And, all because you brewed a cup of the black stuff!
Lucky for your liver
Given the strength of coffee, you might assume that it’s pretty hard on organs like your liver, but you can think again. In actual fact, studies show time and again that coffee can work wonders for your liver function. There’s even evidence that a regular coffee habit of that staple four cups a day can reduce any risks of cirrhosis by as much as 80%. Not to mention that coffee drinking has been found to reduce the risk of liver cancer by 40%. Those are pretty substantial statistics, and they’re well worth your attention. At the very least, numbers like these are enough to show that you needn’t hide coffee drinking away like the dirty habit that it isn’t.
A longer life overall
As if those benefits weren’t enough, there’s also evidence in defense of the fact that coffee can even help you to live longer. In fact, extensive observational studies have pointed towards the fact that regular coffee drinking comes with a lower risk of death by all causes. That’s a big deal, with coffee drinkers displaying as much as a 30% lower risk of death during 20 years. With that in mind, perhaps you should be shouting from the rooftops about your love for coffee, rather than sipping away in a dark corner!
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