Is coffee good for you? This question has probably crossed your mind a time or two. The combination of stimulating effects and delicious flavor can make anyone a bit dubious of this popular beverage. However, there are a resounding number of studies out there that explain why is coffee good for you. We scoured the internet to find some of the most reputable sources on coffee health benefits. Let’s discuss the reasons why your morning joe is pivotal for a quality lifestyle and figure out how much coffee is good for you to receive optimal benefits.
Is Coffee Good or Bad for You?
Jitters and trouble sleeping are just a couple of reasons why some people consider cutting down their caffeine intake. These unwanted side effects aren’t necessarily the coffee’s fault.
Some people might be more sensitive to caffeine. For many of us, this relationship with caffeine is hereditary. That doesn’t make coffee bad for you. It just means you need to drink less caffeine.
The average person drinks 200 mg of caffeine every day. That’s between two to three cups of coffee. Many studies have found that four cups can actually increase your longevity. So, even the caffeine-sensitive can benefit from drinking a cup of joe every day. You just need to find how many cups of coffee is good for you.
Why is Coffee Good for You?
There are many studies that explain why coffee is good for you. We curated some of the most authoritative analyses of the subject. Let’s explore how is coffee good for you!
1. Reaction Time Improves
We drink coffee to wake us up every day. However, our morning beverage does more than just lift our eyelids. It actually makes your brain work more efficiently.
On a molecular level, caffeine looks quite similar to a protein in our brain known as adenosine. When adenosine interacts with receptors in our mind, it slows down communication between neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain that deliver messages). As a result, we feel sleepy.
Since caffeine has many similar features to adenosine on a genetic level, this molecule can bind to the same receptors. In fact, one study found that caffeine inhibits adenosine from latching onto four adenosine receptors:
- A1
- A2a
- A2b
- A3
This interaction leaves less room for adenosine to leach on. Therefore, we naturally become more alert.
When adenosine doesn’t trigger a slower pace, it allows your body to produce more neurotransmitters. So, when we drink coffee, we get doses of dopamine. This neurotransmitter is responsible for motivation, learning, and memory.
Meanwhile, coffee encourages the production of norepinephrine. Norepinephrine releases glucose from fat stores to boost energy levels. It’s also essential for getting your heart rate and blood pumping when you’re in the midst of an intense cardio workout.
2. Helps You Breathe
Speaking of cardio workouts, you’re going to want to drink coffee a half hour before your next one. It’s going to help you find your rhythm as you try to sync up your breath to movement.
Caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline helps smooth out muscle tension from an intense workout. As a result, oxygen can move its way through the system more efficiently. This effect is precisely why people who have asthma take adrenaline during an asthmatic attack.
3. Helps with Muscle Repair
Oxygen does more than just boost our performance. It also aids us in healing after we push ourselves a bit too far. Thanks to coffee, oxygen circulates the system more efficiently.
One of the reasons as to why is coffee good for you is that caffeine acts as a vasodilator. Vasodilators have a relaxing effect on artery walls. As a result, blood cells can make their way through our arteries more efficiently.
Picking up the pace in the veins allows blood cells to reach our problem areas faster. So, the slight tissue tears and sore joints we create from deadlifts and marathon training heal at a quicker pace, too.
Not to mention, coffee itself is rich in antioxidants. Any time we push our body to its peak, it creates oxidative stress on the system. Antioxidants are essential in preventing and repairing the damage caused by oxidative stress and free radicals.
4. Burns Fat
Want to know why is coffee good for you? That’s because it’s good for your waist. With one in three people being overweight, a few extra cups might mean a few less pounds.
Studies show that caffeine speeds up your metabolism. That means you digest your food more efficiently and pass waste more regularly. When your body works like clockwork, the pounds naturally subside.
Caffeine consumption also promotes fat browning. This process transforms sticky, white adipose fat tissue into a beige tone. Brown tissues are less viscous than their white counterparts. As a result, they are easier to burn off.
By turning the white tissues brown, it helps your body to win the tug-of-war with your fat tissue. The white tissue wants to keep as much cushion as it can. Meanwhile, beige-colored tissue promotes weight loss.
5. Lowers Risk of Diabetes
Not only is coffee good for you losing weight, but it’s also clutch for diabetes prevention. Many studies find drinking coffee can lower the risk of diabetes by at least 42%. One study even suggested your risk of type 2 diabetes can drop by 67%!
The strong diabetes and coffee connection is due to how the drink interacts with our energy storage levels. A reason why is coffee good for you is that it increases insulin secretion. Subsequently, it lowers resting glucose levels.
So, if you’re wondering, “is drinking coffee good for you if you have diabetes?” Drink away. Just make sure you stay clear of added sugars and unhealthy creamers.
6. Improves Liver Function
Coffee and liver are like peanut butter and jelly. It’s just meant to be. A massive reason for why is coffee good for you is that it helps repair cirrhosis. In fact, one study found that drinking the max for how much coffee is good for you (four cups), reduced the onset of liver cirrhosis by 80%.
Cirrhosis is when scar tissue builds up on the liver. This is a disease prevalent with alcoholism. Since the liver is our body’s filter, this organ must remain in pristine condition. Otherwise, we run the risk of toxins building up in our system.
7. Boost Brain Power
Coffee is good for you because it helps keep your brain healthy. Antioxidants found in coffee helps repair damaged tissue in the brain. This benefit is precisely the reason why is coffee good for you. When damaged cells build up in the mind, it promotes the loss of grey matter. That’s why studies suggest coffee is effective in fighting off the development of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Furthermore, coffee helps promote the production of dopamine neurotransmitters. As we discussed earlier, dopamine plays a role in many neurological activities, including muscle movement and memory. Coffee’s influence on dopamine production is why scientists believe drinking coffee can decrease the risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease by up to 60%.
8. Supports Immune System
Influencing all of these neurotransmitters is a primary reason as to why is coffee good for you. These internal messengers do more than just provide brainpower and muscle movement. They also support our immune system.
Research shows that coffee helps the body produce acetylcholine. A new analysis found that our immune cells (T-cells) release this same neurotransmitter when they’re trying to fight off a viral infection. So, by drinking coffee in the morning, you give your immune cells the ammunition necessary to help keep the system robust.
How Much Coffee is Good for You?
Now that you have a firm understanding as to why is coffee good for you, it’s time to determine how much coffee is good for you in particular. Many studies suggest four cups per day can decrease mortality. Some of us may be too sensitive for that much caffeine. The best thing you can do is to find your max.
Start with two cups of coffee and listen to how your body responds. Do you feel more alert? Did you come down without any jitters? If you feel you can take on more coffee, then up your cup the next day. Continue until you find that sweet spot.
Once you start feeling the negative effects of drinking too much caffeine, you know to lay back. Maybe you can even try cutting the caffeine levels in half by substituting your fourth cup for green tea.
Which Coffee is Good for You?
The only thing left to make you question, “Is coffee good for you?” is the actual brand you’re purchasing. Make sure you buy coffee that is crafted with beans that organically sourced. You want to stay clear of littering up your cup with a bunch of fatty creamers and refined sugars. To achieve this, you should drink quality coffee that actually tastes good.
You don’t need to dummy down your coffee with the Caffeine and Kilos Night Train Blend. This coffee has the bold flavor that we know and love from dark roast coffee. However, this robust blend is also quite smooth. Every velvety sip is exactly how a cup of coffee should taste.
You can have that delicious flavor every morning by joining our subscription service. After all, coffee is good for you. Now, you can have wellness delivered to your door every month.