Maybe Being Addicted Isn’t So Bad – The Benefits Of Coffee

Coffee is one of the world’s most commonly consumed drinks. Millions of adults in the United States seek their morning java to help get a start to their day, and most all of them drink more than just one cup throughout the day. There are people who swear by it, and say that they just can’t get up and get going without their coffee, and other simply love it’s rich, simplistic taste. For years, however, coffee was thought of as a sort of vice – there were no studied health benefits, but it was suspected that such a highly concentrated source of caffeine may not be good for you. New information, however, is giving coffee lovers even more of a reason to reach for the mug in the mornings. Recent studies that have been conducted on coffee have started to seriously change the way nutritionists look at coffee.

One thing that has been known for a while is that coffee is a plentiful source of antioxidants. Antioxidants have taken the nutritional world by storm, and are credited with all sorts of amazing benefits in the human body. They block damaging free radicals, which cause decreased energy levels, premature aging, and certain forms of cancer. These benefits are known and understood, but perhaps the most exciting thing about antioxidants is that they seem to have many other benefits that are not yet understood. One of these benefits is that certain intakes of caffeine seem to help reduce a person’s chance of developing diabetes. It is known that caffeine makes the body more sensitive to insulin, but exactly how it protects from diabetes is not completely clear. Studies have been conclusive, however, that those who drink coffee regularly are less likely to develop diabetes.

Of course, coffee is mostly known for being loaded with caffeine. This is obviously what gives a person that boost of energy after drinking coffee, but what else does it do for the body? This question has been asked by several universities across the country, and the studies performed have returned massive amounts of information. The primary benefit shown from coffee’s caffeine content was a boost to athleticism. Studies performed on people who underwent physical exercise such as running and performing athletic feats showed that the ingestion of caffeine helped to increase their stamina and increased their overall performance. It is thought that caffeine sends certain signals throughout the body to ignore specific levels of fatigue, allowing the person to push farther for longer periods of time. Combined with the energy-boosting properties of caffeine, and coffee actually has merit as an athletic enhancer. Interestingly enough, while most products marketed to increase athletic performance in only one of a few areas, coffee showed increased performance in virtually all areas. The most efficient dosage seemed to be two cups of coffee, although most people will probably feel a difference after just one. Other than athleticism, the caffeine was also thought to be responsible for a reduction in risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Several different studies have been done on caffeine and Parkinson’s, and conclusively show that those who regularly drink coffee are up to 80% less likely to develop the debilitating disease.

There is no doubt that coffee is making big waves in the scientific community! As more research is done on this common beverage, the more we learn about its great benefits! Coffee is such a staple, and an addiction, in so many American lives, that for the longest there have been big questions on whether it’s a national problem or a national wonder, and so far, nutritionists are learning that the benefits of this hot beverage far outweigh the risks!