Not just a cup of coffee

                         

                                                      From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com 

           Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. It was estimated that the people across the globe consume 1.6 billion cups of coffee daily (International Coffee Organization, 2013). It has become an integral in the lives of many people across the globe. From the humble farmer to the business executive, coffee has been the go-to beverage when one needs to stay awake. But did you know that coffee doesn’t only keep you alert but also has other health benefits? Here are a few benefits that coffee can give you:

1) Coffee is widely known to carry caffeine. What many people don’t know is how it functions. Caffeine blocks adenosine which increases “neuronal firing in the brain and the release of other neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine” which leads to a net stimulant effect. (Gunnars, 2013). Thus brain mood and function is improved.

2) Caffeine in coffee can also increase the number of fatty acids in your bloodstream (Jacques, 2013). This stimulates a person’s muscles to absorb and burn fat for fuel and saves your body’s carbohydrate supply for other activities.

3) Drinking coffee can make your mind sharper. TIME reporter Micheal Lemonick says: “When you're sleep-deprived and you take caffeine, pretty much anything you measure will improve: reaction time, vigilance, attention, logical reasoning -- most of the complex functions you associate with intelligence.” (Lemonick, 2006)

4) A massive antioxidants can actually be found in coffee. In fact, coffee serves as the biggest source of antioxidants for western people, beating fruits and vegetables! (Gunnars, 2013)

5) Coffee has also been linked to preventing certain diseases. Coffee has been associated with lower risk of diabetes and liver diseases. (Jacques, 2013)

These 5 reasons are just the tip of the iceberg. Countless more studies that are being conducted are exploring and discovering more and more ways coffee improves the wellbeing of people. So the next time you take a cup of joe, remember that this beverage doesn’t just serve to keep you awake.

Sources:

International Coffee Organization, “Frequently Asked Questions“, http://www.ico.org/show_faq.asp?show=35

Lemonick, Michael. “A smart way to start the day” CNN.com, http://edition.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/01/11/caffeine.smarter/

Gunnars, Kris. “7 Reasons Why Coffee Is Good For You” Popular Science. http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-02/why-coffee-good-you-here-are-7-reasons

Jacques, Renee. “11 Reasons why you should drink Coffee”. The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/coffee-health-benefits_n_4102133.html