The unknown ‘perks’ of coffee

I did a piece a while ago on coffee quality, but this time we will see “why and how” coffee should be a regular part of everyday.

I have heard folks talk about how coffee is an “acquired” taste, but ever since I was three and my grandad would get me up with the chickens and go to the local bakery (in my pajamas, no less) load up, come home and he would pour me a half cup and fill the rest with cream, and it was love at first sip for me!

The stats tell us that 62% of Americans cannot get through the day without drinking, at least, one cup of Joe! Research has shown us that coffee consumption is much more than a mere “pick me up” or “jump starter,” even though it does just that!

Here I will list 12 huge health benefits of coffee drinking:

1) It slashes your Type 2 diabetes risk: If you drink four-six cups, the risk is dwindled even more.

2) A Netherlands study showed that just drinking one cup at four-hour intervals caused considerably safer driving (less swerving, better speed maintenance and just general alertness towards their surroundings).

3) Coffee counteracts kidney stones due to the caffeine which causes us to empty our bladders more often thus getting rid of any stones while they are tiny. This prevents a lot of pain and hospital stays down the road.

4) Coffee improves memory from just one eight-ounce Starbucks Blonde Roast. This amount can also allow us to recall a visual (picture) way better and describe more details about it than the coffee-less counterparts.

5) Coffee reduces the risk of liver cancer, (the second leading cancer killer and the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer). Drinking just two cups per day gives us a 43% reduction in that (usually) fatal diagnosis. Coffee components lower liver enzymes which indicate trouble.

6) If you are an avid gym jockey, coffee enables you to have more stamina and push through your workout—just with one cup before you leave the house!

7) Coffee fights melanoma. Folks who drink four or more cups per day were 20% less likely to develop melanoma as the chlorogenic acid in coffee hampers the expression of an enzyme called COX-2 which occurs as a result of UV exposure. The researchers theorize that coffee consumption suppresses the likelihood of melanoma.

8) Mood enhancement can happen as a result of coffee intake. With four cups per day, research has demonstrated that folks who are avid coffee fans are 55% less likely to commit suicide as coffee raises the dopamine level.

9) Believe it or not, the chances of getting MS (Multiple Sclerosis) are considerably lowered by coffee consumption. Again, four or more cups seemed to lower the chances of developing this bad boy by 33%. Coffee contains neuroprotective properties which counteract inflammation in this disease as inflammation eats away at the myelin sheath, which protects the nerves by staying intact.

10) Teeth can be saved by drinking one or more cups per day. The antioxidants in coffee protect gums and jawbone from inflammation that commences the bone loss process.

11) Coffee protects your brain and heart. One cup a day can deliver a 20-30% less chance for a stroke or myocardial infarction (heart attack). Caffeine has been shown to lower cholesterol AND blood pressure.

12) We will live longer according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Those of us who drink 1.5 to 3.5 cups (even with a bit of sugar) were up to 30% less likely to die during that study period as those who didn’t consume coffee.

…all the more reason to say “top it off, please!”