Drinking coffee. Whether you’re cuddling a travel mug on your way to work or rushing away after a workout class to refuel, it’s hard to imagine a day without it. Caffeine gives you a feeling of uplift, and there’s something incredibly calming about sipping on a steamy coffee.
Is drinking coffee good for you?
Coffee is stronger than ever. The study suggests you might be getting more of your favorite morning drink than you thought: coffee is packed with substances that may help protect against conditions more common in women, including Alzheimer’s and heart disease.
Caffeine is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of coffee. But they also contain antioxidants and other active substances that may reduce internal inflammation and protect against disease, say nutrition experts from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
What are the most important health benefits of drinking coffee?
Your cup of coffee gives you benefits beyond an energy boost. Here are the top ways coffee can positively affect your health:
You can live longer.
Recent studies have found that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from some of the leading causes of death in women: coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.
Your body may process glucose (or sugar) better.
This is the theory behind studies that have found that people who drink more coffee are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
You are less likely to develop heart failure.
Drinking one or two cups of coffee a day may help prevent heart failure, when a weakened heart has difficulty pumping enough blood to the body.
You are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
Not only is caffeine linked to a lower chance of developing Parkinson’s disease, but it may also help people with the condition better control their movements.
Your liver will thank you
Both regular and decaffeinated coffee appear to have a protective effect on the liver. Research suggests that coffee drinkers are more likely to have liver.
enzyme levels within a healthy range than people who don’t drink coffee.
Your DNA will be stronger.
Dark roast coffee reduces the breaking of DNA strands, which occurs naturally. But it can lead to cancer or tumors if not repaired by cells.
Your odds of developing colon cancer will decrease.
One in 23 women will develop colon cancer. But the researchers found that coffee drinkers – decaffeinated or regular – were 26 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer.
May reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Nearly two-thirds of people with Alzheimer’s disease are women. But the caffeine in two cups of coffee may provide significant protection against developing the condition. In fact, researchers found that women as young as 65 years old. And older adults who drank two to three cups of coffee a day were generally less likely to develop dementia.
You are not likely to have a stroke.
For women, drinking at least one cup of coffee per day is associated with a reduced risk of stroke, which is the fourth leading cause of death in women.
