Your morning (or afternoon, or evening) brew gives you benefits beyond an energy boost. It contains several substances that can guard against some of the biggest health risks we all face. And it’s not just the caffeine—although it definitely plays its part. Antioxidants and other chemicals in coffee reduce inflammation and discourage development of several major diseases.
Here are some of the top health benefits of drinking coffee—all according to a little advanced medical research outfit named Johns Hopkins:
Longer Life
Let’s start with one something that all types of people worry about equally: life expectancy. Studies in recent years have discovered a correlation between coffee and some of the most common causes of death in women: Coffee drinkers are less likely to die from coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease.
Better Glucose (Sugar) Processing
Coffee appears to aid the human body in processing glucose. At least, that’s the theory researchers have posited behind studies showing that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes.
Less Risk of Heart Failure
The idea of "heart failure" is frightening to anyone. Contrary to popular belief, it actually doesn't mean the heart has "failed" or stopped working—it just doesn’t work as well as it should. Heart failure is when the heart has been weakened and has difficulty pumping enough blood to the rest of your body. Fortunately, studies suggest that drinking 1-2 cups of coffee a day may help ward this off.
Less Risk of Stroke
Stroke is the 4th leading cause of death in women. Research has found that drinking at least 1 cup of coffee a day correlates with a lower risk of having a stroke.
Less Chance of Developing Parkinson’s Disease
Not only do coffee drinkers have less of a chance of developing Parkinson’s Disease in the first place; for people who already live with Parkinson’s, coffee may help in controlling their involuntary movements.
Less Chance of Developing Colon Cancer
1 in 23 women develop colon cancer at some point in their lives. Research has found that coffee drinkers are 26% less likely to develop colorectal cancer.
Less Chance of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease
Roughly ⅔ of those living with Alzheimer’s Disease in America are women. Studies have found that the caffeine in 2 cups of coffee may provide protection against developing Alzheimer’s. Research has also discovered that women age 65 and up who drink 2 - 3 cups of coffee each day are less likely to develop dementia.
Healthier Liver
Research has shown that people who consume coffee are less likely to have unhealthy levels of liver enzymes compared to those who don’t.
Stronger DNA
Interestingly, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, dark roast coffee decreases breakage in DNA strands. DNA breakage does occur naturally, but some kinds of DNA breakage can lead to tumors/cancer. (For more info on DNA breakage and cancer, see: https://ccr.cancer.gov/news/article/study-reveals-regions-where-harmful-dna-breaks-are-most-likely-to-occur)
