Things You Didn’t Know About Coffee
Did you know that people drink a total of 2.25 billion cups of coffee per day?! It’s absolutely incredible how much we love our daily Cup O’ Joe. The question that is often asked about coffee is if it really does have health benefits? This can be a complicated question for some, but for us, it’s simple! The short answer is yes, it is healthy as long as you aren’t adding endless packs of sugar and creamers to it! Here’s a list of some things you may not have known about coffee, and why you can justify enjoying it regularly.
1. Coffee Can Reduce Inflammation
Feeling bloated is just one of those feelings that none of us enjoy. Especially after enjoying a great meal that we want to remember positively.
Coffee contains a chemical compound called polyphenols. That compound can help reduce inflammation in the body, making it easier for you to enjoy your meal without worrying out how you will fit into your jeans tomorrow. Perhaps next time you’re dining out, give yourself permission to stay and enjoy a cup of coffee at the end of your meal.
2. It’s A Fantastic Antioxidant
Everyone tells us to eat blueberries and spinach to get our daily serving of antioxidants. Those are great sources of antioxidants for sure, but there’s something else that has been boosting your antioxidant supply without you even knowing it.
One cup of coffee actually has significantly more antioxidants in it than any of the produce you could eat with antioxidants in them. Antioxidants can help reduce your risk of a wide range of types of cancer, as well as infections.
3. It Helps You Wake Up
Waking up on a Monday morning can be a rough transition. What’s the first thing you do after you have a shower and get dressed? Make breakfast! Brewing a hot cup of coffee is often a major part of this morning meal routine – and for good reason!
We all probably know this, but believe it or not, coffee has caffeine! Ok, not so shocking. But, did you know that caffeine is the world’s most regularly used psychoactive drug? Our world must be moving very quickly for everyone to need it that badly.
4. Its Aroma Can Relax You
Kids often say they love the smell of coffee, but hate the taste. Over the years though, they grow into adults who can’t go a day without their Cup O’ Joe. How does this happen?
As we get older, life can get more stressful. The smell of coffee actually is the most recognized scent in North America and it is also a very relaxing smell. It’s no wonder adults love their coffee! It wakes you up and destresses you at the same time.
5. Coffee Is Actually A Fruit
When you think of coffee as a fruit, it doesn’t make a ton of sense because coffee isn’t the juice of a fruit! It doesn’t seem to have the bright color of a fruit, and it sure is not sweet!
The truth is, coffee is the pit of a berry that looks very similar to a cherry. The reason why we call them coffee beans instead of coffee pits, is quite simply because it looks like a bean!
6. It Can Increase Circulation
Going for a walk at each hour of your work day is extremely helpful for improving your circulation. You can also improve your circulation with what you eat and drink.
If you’re looking for reasons why drinking a couple cups of coffee a day is a good thing, look no further. Coffee can actually improve the circulation in your body!
7. Regular Coffee Is Very Low Fat
Getting in shape can sometimes mean you get super serious about how many calories, how many carbs and how much fat you are consuming each day. If this is your current situation, not all coffee has the same amount of fat in it.
If you’re making a regular coffee at home or picking one up at the coffee shop, you’re drinking the lowest fat option. A regular filtered coffee contains about 0.6% fat, but make it a shot of espresso and you’re looking at 2.5% fat. However, while black coffee may be low-fat, careful of what you’re adding to it as it usually the fat and calories in your favorite caffeinated beverage is coming from the syrups, creams, and toppings.
8. The Term “Cup O’ Joe” Has Historical Roots
Have you ever wondered why there are so many nicknames for coffee? You usually only have nicknames for the things you love so obviously we have a serious passion for our Cup O’ Joe.
In World War Two, American soldiers, also known as GI Joes, were known for drinking large quantities of coffee. This is how coffee was dubbed a Cup O’ Joe!
9. Coffee May Improve Cognitive Strength
Maintaining a strong mind as we get older is definitely a priority. Some companies and are making a huge profit by creating programs for people to improve their memory skills, but you can start helping by taking a look at a warm cup of coffee.
Coffee is one drink that is known for helping to reduce your chances of getting neurodegenerative diseases. While you’re practicing your short and long-term memory skills, try sipping on a cup of coffee!
10. It’s Worth Buying Organic
It can be difficult to buy an organic item when you see it’s price compared to the regular version of the same product for less! It can be worth your extra at times, though.
When you buy coffee, it’s important to get the good, organic, fair trade coffee to ensure that pesticides have not been used on the beans. If you’re drinking coffee with chemicals, you have a significantly lower chance of reaping the nutritional benefits that coffee can offer.
11. It Can Boost Your Metabolism
When we sip on our cups of coffee, we are often looking for a boost of energy. That little extra kick we need to keep our energy going until the end of the day.
Your energy is not the only thing that is boosted with coffee! Coffee also can boost your metabolism by 3-11% if you are drinking it regularly.
12. Coffee Can Improve Your Athletics
Endurance in sports is not only a gift to possess, but a goal to achieve. Working on improving your endurance when working out and playing sports takes a lot of time and commitment. Coffee can actually help with this process!
The caffeine in coffee makes fat cells break down into body fat which is then released into the bloodstream and used as energy. It has been shown that your performance can improve by 11-12% with the consumption of coffee.
13. Coffee May Help You Live Longer
Who doesn’t want to live a long life?! There are so many things to enjoy on this planet, and with the average age of death for women being 81 and the average age of death being 79 for males, we should be finding ways to make those years stretch out just a little bit longer.
If you are a regular coffee drinker, don’t listen to those people saying it’s bad for you! It has been shown that coffee can reduce your risk of death by about 20%. There are no guarantees of course, but this seems like a pretty great potential perk for us coffee drinkers.
14. Drinking Coffee Can Help You Focus
Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter as the years progress and as technology becomes more central to our day to day functioning. How can we improve our level of focus when we are constantly distracted? Well, the answer may be in your coffee mug.
Coffee not only improves our energy levels, but it also makes us more alert. This alertness contributes to a higher level of focus throughout your work day as well. So here’s to powering through the day!
15. It’s Jam-Packed with Nutrients
Have you ever wondered what exactly makes up coffee? What minerals are in coffee that can improve our health? We know it offers a variety of benefits, but you may not be aware as to why it’s such a positive addition to our day.
Coffee is filled with Vitamin B2, which boosts your metabolism, energy levels and can even help with your eye health. Vitamin B5 helps relieve stress, and improve heart, skin and hair health. Manganese and Potassium are also present, as well as Magnesium and Niacin in small, but beneficial amounts.
16. It Can Reduce The Odds Of Type II Diabetes
Type II Diabetes is the most popular or common form of diabetes and can be diagnosed at any age. Finding ways to prevent diabetes can be difficult, but with coffee on your side, things are looking pretty good.
Coffee is so powerful, it can actually lower your risk of getting Type II Diabetes from between 23-50%. This is never a guarantee, but sipping away on a Cup O’ Joe has never been so beneficial.
17. It May Lower Your Chances Of Alzheimer’s
We’ve learned a lot so far about the cognitive benefits of coffee. From focus and memory to brain strength, this enjoyable beverage may be doing more work than you realized.
Coffee has proven to have a potentially huge benefit to those predisposed to getting Alzheimer’s. For those who drink coffee regularly, they have a 65% lower chance of developing Alzheimer’s in their lifetime. Now that’s a staggering percentage!
18. Coffee May Prevent Liver Diseases
Being a regular coffee drinker is never a bad thing, but this fact is for coffee drinkers are more than just regular coffee drinkers. It’s for the very committed coffee fans.
If you drink more than 4 cups of coffee per day, you may be 80% less likely to develop something called cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is when the liver has been mostly replaced by scar tissue and can be quite deadly.
19. Coffee Can Reduce Post Workout Pain
What’s the first thing you say when you’re done a really intense workout? Most people would say something like, “well, that’s going to hurt tomorrow!” and a lot of times they are right!
Drinking two cups of coffee a day can actually reduce your post-workout aches and pains significantly. This means that you may be able to workout again soon, especially when your pain is cut almost in half by coffee!
20. Coffee Can Improve Your Mood
The caffeine in coffee may cause you to be a little jittery in the morning, but it’s good to figure out how much coffee is the perfect amount for you. Don’t drink it until your shaking, but have more than a sip or two. Everything in moderation!
The caffeine in coffee is very helpful because it can help stimulate your central nervous system and increase the creation of neurotransmitters in the body. These neurotransmitters are serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine, all of which can help improve your mood! Happy coffee drinking!
