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☕️ Good Morning Friends, Today we'll talk about the main benefits and properties of coffee.
Coffee is a beverage obtained from the ground and roasted beans of the plant of the same name, whose properties go far beyond the stimulation provided by caffeine. Today, we will have an overview of its main benefits on physical and mental health.
Coffee is one of the most consumed drinks in the world. Its stimulating effects are well known, but not so much the benefits it can have on mental and physical health.
It has been observed that a regular and controlled consumption of coffee, between 2 and 4 cups a day, can have the following benefits:
- favors the functioning of some of the cognitive skills,
- given the increase in vigilance and alertness,
- it helps burn fat and maintain a correct body weight,
- it reduces the risk of diseases such as some types of cancer, strokes or liver conditions.
For this reason, it should not replace good lifestyle habits, such as a healthy diet or rest for the hours necessary for the body to recover.
Health benefits of coffee
Coffee is a psychostimulant drink because it activates the nervous system. The main component of coffee is caffeine, which belongs to the group of methylxanthines, alkaloids that activate the body and are frequently consumed. Also in this group are theophylline, related to tea, and theobromine, related to cocoa.
Although this drink has some advantages, we must take into account the amount taken and control its consumption, because if we drink too much, we can feel the symptoms of the drug, such as intoxication or abstinence.
Caffeine is a substance that can generate dependency.
So let's see what benefits coffee brings us and why it can be good to consume it in moderation.
► Read also: Caffeine addiction: what it is and 8 warning signs
► Read also: Coffee addiction: Symptoms, consequences and how to eliminate it
1. Coffee helps to reduce fat
It has been observed that coffee helps to reduce fat, this is due to the fact that, as we have already said, coffee is a stimulant of the nervous system and as such, it accelerates the metabolism, producing a faster fat consumption.
Similarly, coffee consumption increases adrenaline in the body, promoting the breakdown of fats and their use for energy. This fat-reducing function also reduces the risk of the appearance of hepatic steatosis, thus helping to keep the liver in good condition and reducing the risk of cirrhosis, i.e. scarring of the liver, with the resulting dysfunctions.
2. Coffee reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Two ingredients that also make up coffee are magnesium and potassium, these nutrients benefit and facilitate the use the body makes of insulin, promoting the entry of glucose into the cells and regulating its levels. When this process fails, you are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Likewise, the entry of glucose into the cells allows it to be used as a source of energy and consumed, thus also maintaining greater control and stability of body weight.
3. Enhance cognitive skills
The caffeine stimulating factor helps us stay awake and alert, which can favor our concentration and as a result our ability to memorize.
It can help us on the days when we feel most tired, giving us a push to stay active and be able to continue working.
Of course, we must be careful because, as we have said, high doses can be harmful, as well as we cannot use it as a substitute for rest, since it is essential for our body.
4. Increases physical performance
Linked to the increase in activation, this allows us to increase the physical performance of our body.
Similarly, the increase in adrenaline mentioned above also promotes activation, since it is a neurotransmitter related to the reaction to an intense stimulus that promotes flight or action behavior, thus helping our sports practice to be more intense.
► Read also: Bigorexia: Why being addicted to sport is dangerous for your health?
5. It has an antioxidant function
Coffee beans, especially before being roasted, are rich in polyphenols which have as a fundamental property the action of antioxidant, they neutralize the free radicals and the heavy metals that can be found and that harm the body.
It has also been observed that subjects who drink coffee on a regular basis reduce the risk of premature death, compared to the non-consumer population.
6. Decreases the risk of degenerative diseases
A decrease in the likelihood of developing degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's was obtained.
In different studies, the risk of developing Parkinson's disease has been reduced by approximately 25%.
This reduced risk may be related to the increased activation produced by coffee in an area of the brain that is hypoactivated in Parkinson's disease.
7. Reduced risk of cancer
Regular and controlled consumption of coffee is also related to a lower probability of developing cancer.
The types of this disease with which it has shown greater relationship with coffee are:
- liver cancer,
- colorectal cancer,
- prostate cancer,
- endometrial cancer,
- and skin cancer.
8. Reduces the onset of vascular diseases
Contrary to what we tend to think, regular consumption of coffee does not increase blood pressure and, although, as we already know, it is stimulating, and its antioxidant properties are more powerful, protecting us from cardiovascular diseases.
Similarly, drinking 2 to 4 cups of coffee also reduces the likelihood of having a stroke.
9. It is a source of multiple nutrients
Coffee consumption provides us with different nutrients, both vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin B2 or riboflavin, important for the production of red blood cells and the correct growth of the body;
- Vitamin B3 or niacin, essential for the control of cholesterol, as well as the good condition of the skin, digestive system and nervous system;
- Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid, helps our metabolism.
Other nutritional components provided by coffee are:
- Manganese, which is essential for the good condition of cartilage tissues, thus reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis. It also favors the proper functioning of memory, decreasing the irritability and fatigue of the subject;
- Potassium, favors the correct muscle state, helping to counteract the hypertensive effects of soda;
- And magnesium, allows maintaining a good balance of the nervous and muscular system and regulate blood glucose levels.
10. Improvement of mood
The stimulating effect of caffeine, as we already know, increases the activation of the central nervous system, also increasing the levels of neurotransmitters linked to mood such as:
- serotonin, related to emotional control and stability;
- dopamine, important for emotional regulation and for the reinforcement circuit;
- and noradrenaline, favors the feeling of alertness, vigilance and motivation.
In this way, it helps to reduce depressive symptoms. A decrease in the risk of showing suicidal behavior has also been observed.
► Read also: What is serotonin, and what is it for?
► Read also: 10 symptoms of depression that should alert you
Bottom line
Now that we know more about the benefits of coffee consumption, we realize that it is not bad for our health, and it can even be beneficial for the proper functioning of the body.
Nevertheless, for the effects to be positive, the consumption must be controlled, that is to say, we must not go from the recommended amount of 2 to 4 cups per day, because otherwise we lose its benefits and negative effects may appear.
Finally, despite the benefits observed, it also does not have the same functions as a drug or a full-fledged treatment for the mental or physical health problem, so if some of our functions are affected, it is relevant to go to the indicated professional and follow the recommended treatment.
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