Six Ways Coffee Can Improve Health and Increase Life Expectancy

Health & FitnessMarch 21, 2018

Caffeine is one of the most popular drugs of choice around the world and most people can’t fathom the idea of starting their day without a cup of coffee. After all, it does do an awesome job at waking us up and keeping us alert and productive throughout the day. But, collective evidence from over 200 studies suggests that caffeine does a lot more than just giving an energy boost – it actually improves health and increases our life expectancy. So, lets raise our coffee mugs to good health!

Caffeine has more health benefits than you may think

If you’re worrying about the amount of coffee you’re getting through in a day and its effects on your overall health then, researchers have great news for you: Consuming 3 to 4 cups of coffee every day can increase your life expectancy and lower the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, dementia and cancer. It’s hard to say if the health benefits are a direct result of caffeine since the scientists still haven’t found out the exact mechanism by which it effects our body.

However, coffee drinkers do show signs of better health than those who don’t drink any. But, since caffeine is considered a psychological drug and can easily be found in other foods apart from coffee, it’s possible to consume too much of it which can lead to harmful effects like anxiety and disrupted sleep patterns. But as long as you stick to the recommended amount of 400 mg per day, caffeine will give you nothing but health benefits. Here are six reasons why you should not give up coffee:

Healthy Liver: Good news for those who’ll be celebrating the holidays with high-calorie foods and one-too-many glasses of champagne: Drinking coffee can reverse the type of liver damage associated with drinking alcohol and eating fatty foods. Researches involving more than 400,000 people show that those who drank coffee regularly had a healthy liver and a significantly lower risk of developing a potentially fatal disease aka liver cirrhosis. Participants who drank only one cup of coffee a day reduced their risk of cirrhosis by 22%. Those who drank two reduced it by 43% whereas those who drank four reduced the risk by a whopping 65%.

Healthy Heart: When consumed in moderation, caffeine is good for your heart too. More than 200 studies in the past have shown that the chances of dying from a cardiovascular disease were reduced by 19% in those who drank 3-4 cups of coffee every day. Whereas each cup of coffee consumed decreases the risk of developing diabetes by 7%. Still thinking about giving up caffeine?

Coffee drinkers do show signs of better health than those who don’t drink any

Reduced Risk of Cancer: Coffee drinkers rejoice! Studies have also found that drinking coffee is linked to reduced risk of various types of cancers including liver, oral, and endometrial cancer. One research showed that those who drank at least three cups of coffee benefited from 18% reduction of cancer risk whereas people who drank only one cup had 15% less chance of getting cancer.

Reduced Risk of Depression: Did you know that coffee can cut the risk of committing suicide by half? A study involving 100,000 people showed that people who drank coffee moderately were less likely to get depressed whereas heavy coffee drinkers were 50% less likely to commit suicide.

Caffeine also fights depression and lowers the risk of committing suicide

Improved Mental Health: Coffee doesn’t only affect your heart and liver, it also improves your brain’s health, as shown by several studies. One research showed that regular intake of caffeine leads to lesser chance of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia in old age. Those who enjoyed a few cups of coffee every day also showed improved cognitive function.

Increased Life Expectancy: One of the biggest advantages of caffeine is that it adds a few extra years to your life so that you can enjoy more coffee. A study was conducted with 500,000 Europeans over a period of 16 years to find out how coffee can affect your life expectancy. The result showed that men who drank more coffee increased their life expectancy by 12% whereas women increased it by 7%. Decaffeinated coffee also showed similar benefits.