Most of us enjoy a good cup of coffee in the morning or even during a long day. We enjoy the smell, the taste, and the caffeine-induced boost of energy.
But have you ever thought about what the actual benefits are?
How can drinking coffee on a daily bases impact your nutrition, your fitness regime, and your health in general?
You might have heard about some negative opinions that make you feel guilty of fully enjoying your cup of coffee.
Well, we have some good news for you.
Here are a few interesting facts about the effect of coffee on your mind and your body.
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Nutrition
Coffee beans are full of nutrients and a lot of them remain once the coffee is brewed.
Now, we are going to mention some further details of the actual nutritional values, and also a few beneficial factors of introducing coffee into your regular diet.
Nutritional Values
This is what a single cup of coffee contains:
- Riboflavin (vitamin B2): 11% of RDI (Reference Daily Intake)
- Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5): 6% of the RDI
- Manganese and potassium: 3% of the RDI
- Magnesium and niacin (vitamin B3): 2% of the RDI.
If you already enjoy the taste of coffee, that is yet another plus. And the thing is, whenever you get tired of your usual blend there are so many different varieties of coffee to choose from.
Antioxidants
Coffee is full of antioxidants (more exactly polyphenols) and quite an important and valuable additional supplement to the Western diet.
According to some research, coffee is the main source of antioxidants.
It goes to such extends to claim that more people get their daily intake of antioxidants from coffee than from fruits and vegetables combined.
Keep in mind: It is not that fruit and vegetables have less antioxidants by themselves, it is about the fact that a lot of people consume coffee more regularly than a balanced meal containing fruits and veggies.
Lowers Your Sugar Levels and Reduces Risks of Type 2 Diabetes
Various research shows different percentages when it comes to lowering blood sugar levels and decreasing the risks of type 2 diabetes in the near future.
But the general verdict is the same – coffee truly does help!
Possible reasons for a lower risk of od diabetes are coffee’s anti-inflammatory effects and high antioxidants levels, its ability to burn calories faster, and its impact on the health-protective gut microbes.
Fitness
Instead of spending a lot of money on all sorts of supplements, try having a cup of coffee before your workout routine.
Caffeine acts as a stimulant and it can provide you with that much-desired boost and enhanced performance.
Suggestion: Try to avoid putting cream and sugar. Regular black coffee is low on calories.
It Burns Fat and Increases Metabolism
Lower body fat levels is a trait desired by many. And pure exercising doesn’t always get you to the point where you want those levels to be.
It is proven that caffeine significantly improves the body’s ability to burn fat during exercise
And an increase in fat oxidation results in faster metabolism.
In that aspect, coffee is also extremely beneficial. It enhances the metabolic rate.
Reminder: More is not always better. Consume one to maximum two cups of coffee per day for the most efficient effect.
Reduces muscle pain
It is a common saying – No pain no gain. But let’s be honest, no one enjoys that post-workout soreness.
Some research has shown that two cups of coffee can reduce the soreness of your muscles by almost 50%. Less muscle pain results in more repetitions during training and increased general willingness and motivation to continue your workout routine.
That truly sounds like a great deal!
Enhances Atletic Performance
Caffeine allows the athlete to train longer and with more strength. It is without a doubt beneficial in improving endurance levels and resistance to fatigue.
How exactly does that work?
Coffee stimulates your body to replace muscle glycogen with the stored fat as a source of fuel.
This way, your body is capable of prolongated workouts that require less effort.
Reduced fatigue results in a more positive exercise experience.
There is nothing else for you to do but to try it! Have a nice hot cup of coffee before training and see if how it compares to your usual workout standards and regular achievements.
Further notice: If you are not the type of person to hang out at coffee places, you can surely brew and enjoy your cup of coffee in the comfort of your own home.
For all necessary tips and equipment check out https://www.coffeeble.com/.
Other Health Benefits
Now that we covered fitness and nutritional values, let’s talk some more about the positive factors that coffee can have on our minds and bodies.
There are many health benefits of regular coffee intake. Here are a few main ones.
Increase the Feeling of Happiness
Very often coffee seems to be a crucial part of a productive and enjoyable day
Why is that?
Coffee is linked to positive emotions. It enhances feelings of happiness, affection, and pleasure.
Our energy goes up, our motivation increases and we are ready to handle our daily responsibilities, as well as any negative emotions that may resurface during a stressful day.
With elevated levels of dopamine, the depression risks decrease.
Improves Concentration
It is proven that coffee improves mental focus.
Again, caffeine is a stimulant that positively affects brain functions and activities.
That reflects on our concentration, vigilance, and memory skills.
A lot of research that was conducted was particularly focused on the impact of coffee on the prefrontal lobe. This is the area of the brain that is in charge of our attention span, concentration, and planning.
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
There is no known cure for these quite frequent neurodegenerative conditions, so working on prevention is the only form of fighting the disease (for now).
That means that a correct and healthy diet combined with regular exercise can potentially show some results. Drinking coffee can also be added to this list.
It is important to mention that caffeine is the key factor in reducing the risks for Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons’s, so decaf will have no effect.
Beneficial for the Heart
Coffee consumption is beneficial (to a degree) for blood pressure and cardiovascular health in general. These benefits work as prevention of potential heart failure in the future.
It should be noted that overconsumption of coffee can result in higher cholesterol. So, don’t forget, moderation is the key.
In Conclusion
Even though all those coffee lovers out there didn’t need any additional convincing, we distinguished some main benefits.
With all the different ingredients and ways to prepare coffee, it is difficult to get into more details without getting overwhelmed by information.
The best advice we can leave you with is to listen carefully to your body and act accordingly.
