10 benefits of coffee you didn’t know
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For some, the only way to start the day is with a hot cup of coffee. For others, it’s the best way to take a moment to breathe and relax. But there are many benefits hidden within the humble coffee bean, those golden-brown NESCAFÉ® coffee granules. Whether it’s filter coffee, or the 100% pure coffee NESCAFÉ granules, studies have shown that a moderate amount of coffee has many health benefits that go over and above the caffeine content - helping to improve focus and concentration for work, or keeping fatigue at bay if you're an athlete or do regular exercise. Coffee can even help protect against headaches, strokes, diabetes, and other illnesses. Read on and find out all about the benefits coffee has to offer.
1. RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS
One of the greatest benefits of coffee is that it's rich in antioxidants, especially in green coffee beans. Every cup of NESCAFÉ coffee carries these antioxidants, and is especially high in polyphenols, which work together with other minerals to help your body and cells function optimally, preventing disease, and maintaining good health in general.
2. ACTIVATES THE MIND
Coffee is rich in caffeine, which is the is the component of coffee that stimulates and activates our bodies and minds. It helps to improve some cognitive functions, and your memory. Caffeine also helps us to stay focused, energised, and alert - just another benefit of drinking coffee, black or with milk.
3. HELPS PROTECT AGAINST HEADACHES
Caffeine is a natural vasodilator, which means it helps to decrease blood pressure by preventing the muscles in your veins from tightening up and getting narrower. People who suffer from headaches could benefit from coffee, especially if they add some milk. It’s important to not overdo it – even 3 cups of coffee a day could be too much, and it could easily become a trigger for headaches and migraines.
4. IT KEEPS ATHLETES REFRESHED, ENERGISED, AND ALERT
People who are very active - whether it's just regular exercise for fitness reasons, or even a professional athlete - will also benefit from drinking coffee, due to the caffeine content in every cup. It helps to improve physical performance by helping the body to lower the effects of fatigue, improving focus, and staying alert and focused.
5. CONTRIBUTES TO WEIGHT LOSS
Caffeine has long been used to assist with weight loss, often used in various compounds, creams, or other products. This is because caffeine speeds up a process in the body called "thermogenesis", which is how the body naturally burns fat. Interestingly enough, black coffee benefits the body more than milky coffee in these instances, which might be due to the fat content in the milk being used, or added sugar, which is a known contributor to weight gain. However, coffee shouldn't be used alone in an attempt to lose weight - it's best to combine your daily coffee with regular exercise, a healthy, nutritional diet, and plenty of water intake. In fact, coffee can actually cause your body to retain water, which is one of the contributing factors to weight gain. A moderate amount every day will help you get the best benefits coffee has to offer.
6. IT CAN PROTECT AGAINST CANCER, STROKE AND CORONARY DISEASES
A large study done in 2018 by the National Cancer Institute of the United State showed a correlation between a higher consumption coffee, and a lower mortality rate from cancer, strokes, and heart diseases. While the results cannot be seen as definitive, it’s interesting to see the possibilities of what other benefits coffee could have on the overall health of the human body.
7. COMBATS ALZHEIMER'S AND PARKINSON'S
The relationship between drinking coffee, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, has been studied for years. It's very possible that regularly consuming coffee could reduce the likelihood of these diseases in the future.
8. REDUCES THE RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES
Yet another interesting potential health benefit of coffee is a 25% lower chance of suffering from Type 2 Diabetes, by drinking a maximum of 3 or 4 cups a day. It’s not entirely clear how it lowers the chances of the disease, but coffee is rich in antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, and has an impact on the process in the body that burns fat.
9. IT'S GOOD FOR THE HEART
We already know that one of the benefits of coffee it that it offers protects against coronary heart disease. In the past, coffee - and it's high caffeine content - has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. This is probably because caffeine is a known stimulant, but the truth is that regularly drinking coffee - black, or with milk - lowers blood pressure, taking some of the pressure off your heart. Because of this, even hypertensive people can drink coffee. In fact, a study in the American Heart Association journal has shown that, due to the high antioxidant content in coffee, it could even have a cardioprotective effect, meaning it actively protects your heart. And because this relies on coffee's antioxidant content, you'll get the same benefits from decaffeinated coffee! You might be asking yourself - does black coffee have any benefits, or should I add milk? And the answer is simple. Milky coffee and black coffee offer exactly the same benefits!
10. THE PLEASURE OF DRINKING A GOOD CUP OF COFFEE
Yes, coffee has a wide range of health benefits – but this list would be incomplete without mentioning just how good it feels to sit back, relax, and drink a hot, rich cup of coffee. Coffee is there when we’re with friends, having meetings, discussing deals, starting relationships – it’s an important part of our global society, and that, more than anything, is a benefit for human beings.
