The Health Benefits of Coffee – More than Just a Caffeine Fix
This morning when you got up and made your morning cup of coffee, it’s very likely you did it to get that fix of caffeine. It has long been known that caffeine is mildly addictive, which leads many of us to using coffee as the start to our day. What you probably don’t know, however, is that drinking your morning cup has many healthy benefits.
In fact, according to some researchers, the benefits of moderate coffee intake far outweigh the risks associated with caffeine.
In this article we will cover how your morning cup of coffee is actually helping you. It isn’t all about the caffeine fix to get that morning boost. There are also many surprising benefits to a few cups a day.
Benefits of Moderate Coffee Intake
The key to getting the health benefits from your favorite drink is moderation. Caffeine itself can have some negative effects when used in high doses. Too much coffee can affect your cholesterol levels, your heart rate, and make you jittery. When taken in moderation though, there are positive outcomes to drinking coffee.
The benefits of moderate coffee drinking include:
- Antioxidant Power: A study performed at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, concluded that the typical adult consumes 1299mg of antioxidants by simply drinking 2 cups of coffee per day. Antioxidants are known to help prevent cancer, as well as having many other proven health benefits.
- Cancer Preventative: Japanese researchers published a report, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which stated that men who drank coffee regularly had about 50% less risk of developing liver cancer.
- Lower Risk for Diabetes: A study performed at Harvard School of Public Health showed that coffee reduces the risk of developing type-2 diabetes significantly.
- Parkinson’s disease: A study performed on Japanese men age 53 and over was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study stated that men who didn’t drink coffee were three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease when compared to men who drank 3-4 cups per day.
- Alzheimer’s disease: At the University in Ottawa in Canada, in a study related to the onset of Alzheimer’s, it was found that coffee was a significant factor in reducing (and delaying) the onset of the disease. The study has lead to further investigation of the topic.
- Asthma Reduction: For asthma sufferers, drinking coffee may reduce asthma related symptoms. A report published in the Edinburgh Medical Journal even stated that drinking coffee may work as a temporary treatment until a patient can find an inhaler.
- More: It doesn’t stop there; other studies have shown that coffee can reduce the risk of colon cancer, reduce the formation of gallstones, improve cognitive function, and more.
Espresso Brewing: A Solution to the Caffeine Problem
Another thing that many people don’t know is that the brewing method used affects the amount of caffeine extracted from the coffee grounds. One brewing method that brings out the flavor, and with less caffeine than drip-style coffeemakers, is an espresso machine.
The pressure used in most espresso machine types forces the flavor out of the beans. Since the water doesn’t sit in the grounds, it also extracts less of the caffeine. In other words, if you want to gain the healthy benefits of coffee, while lessening the risks associated with caffeine, you’re better off brewing yourself an espresso or a latte.
With all the benefits of moderate coffee intake, it may just be time to find yourself a Breville espresso machine, or a Capresso Impressa E9 so that you can take advantage of this healthy (and delicious) drink!
