Benefits of Drinking Coffee! -Why that Cup of Joe May Not Be so Bad After All

Could coffee really be good for me? I mean, it comes from a plant, so it's kind of like a vegetable right?

Starting the day off with a piping hot, fresh cup of coffee with a little cream and sugar is something many Americans look forward to. It warms you up, wakes you up, tastes great and the smell is worth making it! But is it healthy? Many fear the staining of their teeth, and the other detrimental effects coffee may have. However, it turns out that there are also several benefits.

One benefit of drinking a daily cup of coffee is improved mental performance. Coffee helps improve alertness, attention and wakefulness that can actually improve mental and work performance. Groggy workers often miss important details and may make mistakes that they wouldn't otherwise make. A cup of coffee awakens the brain and helps you to be more alert in your daily performances, whether as a worker, student or parent.

Another benefit that coffee may provide is aiding in Short Term Memory. The caffeine acts as a stimulant to the brain so that the attention can be drawn to what is necessary to focus on.

Indeed, the brain responds to coffee in a unique way. The extra alertness can often help to focus, concentrate and even remember details at a higher rate.

Coffee also aids workers to concentrate. 200mg of caffeine can significantly reduce the tendency towards sleepiness and convert grogginess to alertness and concentration. In fact, coffee usually helps workers for at least 5-7 hours which can help out for the entire shift.

Also, many workers will find themselves feeling especially groggy after lunch. This is also an efficient time to drink coffee because attention, memory and concentration are most likely a part of the job. There are also studies that have shown that people who drink coffee over the lunch hour are more contented and more interested in their work, as well as more alert. However, it is also important that addiction to coffee can eventually increase the rate of irritability.

It is also important to consider what is necessary to perform at your best. Coffee can actually increase information processing by 10%. This is especially important for repetitive work. Coffee can also help to deal with the problem of headaches.
So what about our physical health? Could coffee really benefit?

Apparently so, indeed coffee beans are loaded with antioxidants which can help minimize the likelihood of heart disease and cancer. Tea is of course known for high levels of antioxidants as well, however, it is currently being investigated to prove that coffee may have four times the level of antioxidants in some teas.

There is also evidence that coffee may improve the performance of the liver. In fact, a study completed by Professor D'amicis, Head of Nutrition Information Unit in INRAN in Rome, Italy, pointed out that coffee may protect against cirrhosis of the liver, gallbladder disease and an increase of liver enzyme. The study involved approximately 130,000 adults who by drinking four cups of coffee a day have 1/5 the risk of those who do not drink any coffee.

Will caffeinated beverages produce the same effects?

More likely than not, the antioxidants and the unique genes in the beans are what benefits your health.
Coffee also prevents the cirrhosis of the liver that alcoholic drinks tend to cause.

Men may also have a chance of reducing the risk of gallstone disease by drinking 3 cups of coffee a day. By drinking 4 cups a day, men may reduce the risk by ½.

There are plenty of studies that have been done on coffee and the benefits and detriments. It seems, however, that the benefits are often found in moderation much like other foods and drinks.

There are also connections between coffee and exercise performance, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and safer driving.
Lastly, there have been some even more surprising findings regarding health and coffee.

Such impairments as asthma, heartburn, osteoporosis and headaches can also often be aided by drinking coffee.
Also, coffee is often put on the bad list because of its high addiction rate. While coffee certainly is addicting, it is more habit formation than a drug addiction. It may mean a few days with a headache if you choose to quit drinking coffee, however, it is a much easier addiction to break.

It is also not something you build a tolerance to, unlike what most people think.

Coffee definitely has a list of benefits including a higher attention and alertness quota as well as several health benefits. So, the next time your co-worker or roommate gives you a hard time about drinking coffee, tell them to consider the benefits of drinking a moderate amount of coffee may have.