Coffee drinkers love their first cup of joe in the morning. But while drinking coffee might help us start our days, is it actually good for you?
Recent research says yes, including a 2017 study in the British Medical Journal, which indicated that “moderate coffee drinkers had less cardiovascular disease, and premature death from all causes, including heart attacks and stroke, than those skipping the beverage,” according to the New York Times.
These findings run in contrast to much previous thinking about coffee, which had been considered a “vice” beverage in the past. In fact, up until recently, some so-called experts erroneously believed that coffee was a possible carcinogen that was dangerous to your health.
Nothing could be further from the truth! There are actually quite a few surprising health benefits to drinking coffee regularly. Below we share with you five ways that drinking coffee is actually good for your body and mind.
After you read our list, don’t forget to visit our coffee page to find out more ways you can have our delicious coffee and tea options delivered right to your home or office.
#1 Reduces Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
One of the biggest health headlines about coffee in recent years is that it may help lower the risk for Type 2 Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes is a disorder that affects millions of people worldwide and is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and a relative lack of insulin. According to a study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, people who consumed six cups of coffee or more a day had a 22% lower risk of diabetes. A review of other studies indicated that the risk for Type 2 Diabetes decreases by 9% for each daily cup of coffee you drink.
#2 Lowers Risk for Parkinson’s Disease
According to research from Sweden, even if you’re genetically disposed to Parkinson’s, drinking coffee regularly may help lower your risk for the neurological disease. Other research indicates that coffee drinkers have up to 60% lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
#3 Decreases Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease
Along with Parkinson’s disease, drinking coffee also helps lower the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, according to recent studies. “Coffee consumption does seem to have some correlation to a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Donald Weaver, who co-directed a 2018 study from the Krembil Brain Institute.
The study determined that it wasn’t the caffeine in coffee that reduces the risk for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but compounds known as phenylindanes, which occur as a result of the roasting process for coffee beans. So caffeinated and decaf coffee are both helpful but darkly roasted coffee appears to be more protective than light roasted coffee, according to the study.
#4 Reduces Risk for Certain Types of Cancer
A 2016 study from the University of Southern California’s Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center of Keck Medicine found that coffee consumption decreases the risk of colorectal cancer. “We found that drinking coffee is associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer, and the more coffee consumed, the lower the risk,” said Stephen Gruber, MD, PhD, MPH, director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and senior author of the study. According to the study, even moderate coffee consumption reduces the risk by 26%, while those who drank more than 2.5 servings of coffee a day saw a 50% decrease in risk. This was true for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees, indicating that it may be something in the roasting process of coffee that is preventative. Meanwhile, another study showed that coffee drinkers have up to 40% lower risk for liver cancer.
#5 Fights Depression
While longtime coffee drinkers often say the beverage perks them up in the morning when they’re feeling down, it can actually do a lot more than that for those with serious depression. A 2011 Harvard study found that women who drank four or more cups of a coffee a day were 20% less likely to suffer from depression. Other studies show that those that those who drink four or more cups of coffee per day are more than 50% less likely to die by suicide.
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