The Magical Properties of Coffee

Hu said that moderate coffee intake—about 2–5 cups a day—is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson's disease, and depression. It's even possible that people who drink coffee can reduce their risk of early death.

Coffee does more than boost your energy. A few daily cups of coffee may also lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and depression, support weight management, and help you live a longer life. Just keep in mind that experts recommend limiting caffeine if you’re pregnant or nursing.

Coffee is a beloved beverage known for its ability to fine-tune your focus and boost your energy levels.

In fact, many people depend on their daily cup of joe right when they wake up to get their day started on the right foot.

In addition to its energizing effects, coffee has been linked to a long list of potential health benefits, giving you all the more reason to get brewing.

1. Boosts energy levels
Coffee contains caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant that is known for its ability to fight fatigue and increase energy levels (1Trusted Source).

This is because caffeine blocks the receptors of a neurotransmitter called adenosine, and this increases levels of other neurotransmitters in your brain that regulate your energy levels, including dopamine (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

One small study found that consuming caffeine increased time to exhaustion during a cycling exercise by 12% and significantly reduced subjective levels of fatigue in participants (4Trusted Source).

Another study had similar findings, reporting that consuming caffeine before and during a round of golf improved performance, increased subjective energy levels, and reduced feelings of fatigue

SUMMARY
Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that has been shown to increase energy levels and decrease fatigue by altering levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.

2. May be linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes
Some research suggests that consuming coffee regularly could be associated with a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the long term.

In fact, one review of 30 studies found that each cup of coffee people consumed per day was linked to a 6% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (6Trusted Source).

This is thought to be due to coffee’s ability to preserve the function of the beta cells in your pancreas, which are responsible for producing insulin to regulate blood sugar levels (7Trusted Source).

Plus, it’s rich in antioxidants and may affect insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and metabolism — all of which are involved in the development of type 2 diabetes (8Trusted Source

SUMMARY
Regular coffee consumption may be linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the long term.

3. Could support brain health

Although studies have turned up mixed results, some research suggests that coffee may help protect against certain neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

According to one review of 13 studies, people who regularly consumed caffeine had a significantly lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. What’s more, caffeine consumption also slowed the progression of Parkinson’s disease over time (9Trusted Source).

Another review of 11 observational studies in more than 29,000 people also found that the more coffee people consumed, the lower their risk of Alzheimer’s disease (10Trusted Source).

Additionally, several studies have demonstrated that moderate coffee consumption could be associated with a lower risk of dementia and cognitive decline (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source

Some research suggests that drinking coffee could help protect against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cognitive decline.

SUBSCRIBE
NUTRITION
Special Diets
Healthy Eating
Food Freedom
Conditions
Feel Good Food
Products
Vitamins & Supplements
Sustainability
Weight Management


NUTRITION
9 Unique Benefits of Coffee
Medically reviewed by Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN, Nutrition — By Rachael Ajmera, MS, RD — Updated on Feb 23, 2023
Coffee does more than boost your energy. A few daily cups of coffee may also lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and depression, support weight management, and help you live a longer life. Just keep in mind that experts recommend limiting caffeine if you’re pregnant or nursing.

Coffee is a beloved beverage known for its ability to fine-tune your focus and boost your energy levels.

In fact, many people depend on their daily cup of joe right when they wake up to get their day started on the right foot.

In addition to its energizing effects, coffee has been linked to a long list of potential health benefits, giving you all the more reason to get brewing.

This article takes an in-depth look at 9 of the top evidence-based benefits of coffee.


1. Boosts energy levels
Coffee contains caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant that is known for its ability to fight fatigue and increase energy levels (1Trusted Source).

This is because caffeine blocks the receptors of a neurotransmitter called adenosine, and this increases levels of other neurotransmitters in your brain that regulate your energy levels, including dopamine (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

One small study found that consuming caffeine increased time to exhaustion during a cycling exercise by 12% and significantly reduced subjective levels of fatigue in participants (4Trusted Source).

Another study had similar findings, reporting that consuming caffeine before and during a round of golf improved performance, increased subjective energy levels, and reduced feelings of fatigue (5Trusted SourceTrusted Source).

SUMMARY
Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that has been shown to increase energy levels and decrease fatigue by altering levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.

2. May be linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes
Some research suggests that consuming coffee regularly could be associated with a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the long term.

In fact, one review of 30 studies found that each cup of coffee people consumed per day was linked to a 6% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (6Trusted Source).

This is thought to be due to coffee’s ability to preserve the function of the beta cells in your pancreas, which are responsible for producing insulin to regulate blood sugar levels (7Trusted Source).

Plus, it’s rich in antioxidants and may affect insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and metabolism — all of which are involved in the development of type 2 diabetes (8Trusted Source).

SUMMARY
Regular coffee consumption may be linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the long term.

ADVERTISEMENT

3. Could support brain health
Although studies have turned up mixed results, some research suggests that coffee may help protect against certain neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

According to one review of 13 studies, people who regularly consumed caffeine had a significantly lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. What’s more, caffeine consumption also slowed the progression of Parkinson’s disease over time (9Trusted Source).

Another review of 11 observational studies in more than 29,000 people also found that the more coffee people consumed, the lower their risk of Alzheimer’s disease (10Trusted Source).

Additionally, several studies have demonstrated that moderate coffee consumption could be associated with a lower risk of dementia and cognitive decline (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).

SUMMARY
Some research suggests that drinking coffee could help protect against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cognitive decline.

4. May promote weight management
According to some research, coffee could alter fat storage and support gut health, both of which may be beneficial for weight management (13Trusted Source).

For example, one review of 12 studies concluded that higher coffee consumption could be associated with decreased body fat, especially in men (14Trusted Source).

In another study, increased coffee intake was linked to decreased body fat in women (15Trusted Source).

Furthermore, one study found that people who drank one to two cups of coffee per day were 17% more likely to meet recommended physical activity levels, compared with those who drank less than one cup per day (16Trusted Source).

Higher levels of physical activity could help promote weight management (16Trusted Source).

SUMMARY
Coffee could help support weight management and may be linked to decreased body fat. One study also found that people who consumed coffee were more likely to be physically active.

It's not hard to guess that we LOVE coffee! Over 1 billion people worldwide regularly enjoy the versatility and myriad of benefits that the humble coffee bean provides. Coffee is widely accepted as a quick, easy and enjoyable way to get a daily (or twice daily!) hit of caffeine, boosting energy and clarity, but did you know it’s actually beneficial for you in other ways too?

Energy

The stimulating properties of the coffee bean, found on the Coffea plant, were first noticed in the 9th century by dancing goats of all things! Herders noticed the vitality increase in their flocks when they grazed on the Coffea plant and quickly picked up on the correlation that consumption = energy. Over the decades, cultures around the world began to refine the brew that we can now pick up at our local cafe or select from our supermarket shelves.

Caffeine is widely known to be a source of stimulation and is the most commonly consumed psychoactive product in the world. A psychoactive is a substance that influences the working of the brain and promotes changes in both mood and behaviour. Caffeine works by stimulating the cardiovascular and nervous system while also increasing brain activity, leading to a spike in energy, alertness, awakeness and that elevated feeling we know and love.

Mental Performance

As well as providing a physical energy boost to power through the day or perform better in a sports setting, coffee can also give you a mental leg up to get through, well, life! Coffee is widely reported to enhance concentration, memory and does so pretty quickly. Caffeine is absorbed rapidly due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and its benefits peak within an hour of consumption. Caffeine absorbs more rapidly into the body on an empty stomach, but can also cause jitters so don’t over caffeinate on an empty stomach.

It is widely accepted within the scientific community that caffeine increases general arousal (no, not that sort) and improves higher cognitive functions such as reaction time, problem solving and decision making. So next time your boss dumps a heap of work on you as soon as you walk in the door, remind them that also bringing coffee could help your quality and speed of work ;)

Disease Prevention

Studies have shown that a daily cuppa can help ward off Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and there is even some evidence that the right amount of caffeine daily can protect the brain from developing Alzheimer's disease. Coffee is also a fantastic source of antioxidants, protecting your cells from free radicals and preventing damage.

For women specifically, a cuppa a day might even keep the cardiologist away! Numerous studies have shown that women who consume a moderate amount of coffee on the daily have a significantly lower risk of contracting coronary heart disease. (LINK INSERT Wu JN, Ho SC, Zhou C, Ling WH, Chen WQ, Wang CL, Chen YM. Coffee consumption and risk of coronary heart diseases: a meta-analysis of 21 prospective cohort studies. Int J Cardiol. 2009 Nov 12;137(3):216-25. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2008.06.051. Epub 2008 Aug 15. PMID: 18707777.)
These positive benefits are nearly all, however, counteracted if you load your coffee with sugar and cream, sorry!
If this wasn’t enough to convince you to go put the kettle on, coffee (both regular and decaf) can boost liver enzyme levels to a more healthy range and dark roasts can even prevent damage to your DNA strands, reducing the risk of cancer and tumors.
𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐝