5 Benefits of Your Morning Brew

I love coffee.  I love its smell. I love its taste.  Drinking it is one of my favorite parts of my morning ritual.  I have read a lot of conflicting material about coffee over the years.  Some say that coffee should be avoided, while others proclaim its many health benefits.  There was a time where I even gave it up for six months, because I thought I was doing something healthy.  Apart from missing my comforting morning brew, I saw no positive health benefits from this experience.  I also continued to research during this time.  And the more I searched, the more I discovered that research overwhelmingly shows that coffee is good for you.

I know there is a collective cheer going on right now!  Yes, coffee is full of wonderful health benefits.  If you love your coffee, then read on to discover 5 ways it benefits your health.

1. It increases mental stamina.  This is probably a no-brainer for all us coffee lovers out there.  Coffee helps to clear the mental fog we sometimes experience in the morning, and it give us a jump start to our day.  Also dubbed, “nature’s stimulant”, the caffeine in coffee helps to produce mental alertness and concentration.
2. It increases physical endurance.  Coffee is one of the best drinks to consume before a workout.  Studies show that the moderate amount of caffeine boosts your endurance while exercising, so you can workout longer and harder.  This, of course, means that you can burn more calories and get more fit in a faster amount of time.
3. It protects your brain against Alzheimer’s Disease.  Studies show that the antioxidants and caffeine in coffee help protect against inflammation of the brain, one of the primary causes of Alzheimer’s disease.  These studies show that drinking moderate amounts (1 to 3 cups daily) of coffee helped to prevent or at least delay the onset of the disease.
4. It’s good for your heart.  Coffee is brimming with antioxidants.  And antioxidants are good for your heart, because they help to combat free radicals in the body (which are responsible for the onset of many diseases).  Just as it helps prevent inflammation in the brain, it also prevents inflammation of the heart.
5. It protects against Parkinson’s Disease.  Quite a few studies have been conducted that show coffee reduces the development of this disease.  Parkinson’s is a degenerative brain disease that causes tremors and loss of mobility.  One study conducted showed an improvement in those displaying symptoms of Parkinson’s when they were given 200mg of caffeine twice per day (the amount in 2 to 4 cups of coffee).

These are just a few of the benefits!  Other research shows coffee helps to protect against type 2 Diabetes, slows aging, protects against certain types of cancer, and reduces your risk of depression.  There can, of course, be too much of a good thing.  Studies show that drinking more than 3 cups of coffee can have negative side effects.  Some of these would include increased cortisol levels (which puts stress on your adrenal glands), increased resting heart rate, and disrupting healthy sleep patterns.

You also don’t want to load your coffee with sugar or artificial sweeteners, which would have a negative impact on your health. If you like your coffee sweet and creamy, make sure to subscribe below, so you don’t miss Thursday’s recipe for healthy, DIY coffee creamer!

Are you a coffee lover?

Recommended Resources

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