A Cup of Coffee for A Long and Healthy Life

We might have never realized that having a cup or even several cups of coffee a day may do more than just to wake us up in the morning. Well, in fact, coffee could be part in a longer and healty life as the substances it contains have important health benefits. Besides the fact that coffee would improve your health, it helps you live longer as it may lower your risk of dying from chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Have a cup of coffee for a long and healthy life.

However, the main substance of coffee, i.e. caffeine, might have negative effects on your blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate which in turn contributes to heart disease. Still, there are hundreds of other substances in a cup of coffee. Many of these substances are antioxidants that keep oxidation away from our bodies. Oxidation is one of the mechanisms behind ageing and common diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. The health-boosting substances in the coffee beans will mix with hot water while brewing, and become part of our drink. The risk of developing chronic diseases below will be reduced when you consume coffee in regular basis:

Type 2 diabetes. Increasing coffee consumption daily by more than one cup for more than four years would give you a lower risk for type 2 diabetes thanks to chlorogenic acid. This antioxidant substance turns on genes that increase insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Parkinson's disease. Caffeine helps prevent the loss of nerve cells producing dopamine, a low level of which is believed to be the cause of Parkinson’s disease.

Alzheimer's disease. Caffeine enhances certain memories for at least 24 hours after consumption. Caffeine may also reduce swelling in the brain, and decreases the level of a type of protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

Cancer. There is evidence that regular consumption of coffee may lower the risk for some types of cancer, such as colon cancer and liver cancer. Polyphenols, antioxidant phytochemicals found in coffee, have demonstrated anticarcinogenic properties and help reduce the inflammation that could be responsible for some tumors.

Heart disease. Although it is clear that caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, releases free fatty acids from fatty tissue, and increases urination, it remains unclear if it helps protect your heart. However, having up to two cups of coffee daily does not appear to be harmful.

It is good to hear the positive health benefits of consuming coffee, especially for coffee lovers. But, more coffee does not necessarily mean better. For certain people, coffee can cause irritability, nervousness or anxiety in high doses, and it can also affect your sleep quality and cause insomnia. For people with hypertension, coffee consumption can raise blood pressure for several hours.

Be wise. Caffeine affects every one differently, so if you suffer any negative side effects, always consider reducing your coffee consumption. It will take about 6 hours for the caffeine effects to wear off, so limit coffee drinking to early in the day, or switch to decaf which only contains 2–12 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces. That way, you do not have to worry about having a cup of coffee as it is for a long and healthy life.