Brewing that morning pot of coffee might be a therapeutic exercise fueled more by habit than health, but drinking coffee has been proven to increase our health and may even help the environment. Check out these four ways that drinking coffee can enhance your life today:
Coffee Reduces Risk of Some Disease
Thanks to some powerful antioxidants, Drinking coffee may help you be less susceptible to Parkinson’s disease, as well as lower your risk of stroke and some cancers. Coffee also helps your body process insulin, which controls blood sugar and reduces the risk of type-2 diabetes, thanks to the naturally-occurring minerals chromium and magnesium.
Coffee Increases Happiness and Decreases Depression in Women
Some studies have shown that just holding a mug of hot coffee makes people happier, and a John Hopkins study shows that moderate coffee intake (no more than two cups a day) increases happiness due to a steady flow of dopamine. Coffee can also reduce depression in women, according to a Harvard University study that showed a 20% decrease in depression in coffee drinkers compared to non-drinkers. However, quantity is key: too much coffee can make you anxious, so put that bottomless cup back in the cupboard!
Coffee Boosts Your Memory
It’s not your imagination that makes you feel like coffee increases your alertness and brain power. Coffee drinkers report shorter reaction times and faster short-term memory functions, and some studies show that you could actually avoid health risks such as Alzheimer’s disease just by drinking one cup of coffee each day.
Coffee Might Run Your Car Someday
Coffee grounds are being researched at the University of Nevada, Reno as a possible alternative fuel to power the cars and trucks of the future. The coffee-based fuel that results from coffee grounds is more stable than traditional biodiesel due to coffee’s high antioxidant content, according to initial research. And who wouldn’t want to fuel up with the wonderful aroma of fresh coffee?
Coffee can definitely be a health booster, but only when taken in moderate quantities (less than 300 mg of caffeine each day) and when not loaded up with sugar, artificial sweeteners, and syrups. Keep coffee simple by adding reduced-fat milk and drinking in moderation. The health benefits end when coffee becomes more dessert than antioxidant!
Enjoy a cup of coffee today knowing that you may be increasing your memory and disease-fighting power. Add the Sunday crossword puzzle and you just may be unstoppable!
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