Most people start their day with a warm cup of coffee; enjoying the great smell, great taste and the perfect kick start to get their day going. The popularity of coffee extends to the afternoon since the introduction of iced and blended coffee drinks. The perfect pick-me-up for afternoon lags or cooling agent for those hot days, coffee is one of the most popular drinks on the market.
Coffee has unfortunately gotten a bad wrap in the past because of its addicting nature. But recent studies are turning this around, showing that drinking coffee can extend your life. Two studies with over 700,000 people provided significant results that coffee drinkers are less likely to die early deaths from diseases such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, and kidney, respiratory and heart diseases. The best part is for those who avoid coffee because of the caffeine; the same results came from decaffeinated coffee too.
The studies were observational, only showing a correlation rather than cause and effect, but the findings were significant. The key was that initially studies with coffee neglected to take into account other addictive behaviors associated with coffee drinkers such as smoking and drinking. Obviously, those have negative impacts on longevity, but once removed from the equation, coffee alone appeared to beneficial.
This study reported that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day is linked to an 18% lower risk of death when compared to those who don't drink it. These results were the same across different populations, ethnic backgrounds and diets. All additional factors such as smoking and obesity were kept constant, so the common denominator linked to longevity was coffee.
So how exactly is coffee linked to longevity? What it is that promotes better health? Coffee is full of ingredients that provide essential nutrients to support organ function and protect our neurological components. This helps ward of the progression of several debilitating degenerative diseases like Parkinson's.
There is also strong evidence of the anti-inflammatory properties of coffee, which boost our immune systems. Diabetics seem to show improvements in their natural abilities to control glucose levels. As the bodies detoxification system, the liver benefits from the additional cleansing action of antioxidants and is able to function mush more efficiently.
This doesn't mean diets all of a sudden need to be drastically changed. If you are not a coffee drinker, you can stick to your tea or water and will be just fine. There is no need to add it to a diet that does not already contain it. The evidence from these studies essentially can supply some relief to the avid coffee drinkers who have been worried all this time that coffee is bad. It definitely seems to do more good than harm, so no need to panic about having to deprive their morning routine of it.
Final Thoughts
Coffee should not be looked at as some wondrous cure, but including a moderate intake in your diet will certainly deliver some of its magical qualities. Knowing it contains many positive and beneficial elements means it can be removed from the list of 'stay-away' items and added to the list of potentially helpful ones.
As with anything in life, moderation is the key. You don't want to hook yourself up to a coffee-drip, but a few cups each day will be just fine. Everyone can benefit from some healthy ingredients, immune system boosts, increased energy levels and cognitive capacity. In fact apples may have to share the spotlight because it looks as though a cup of coffee a day will also keep the doctors away.
Citations
- http://www.cnn.com/2018/07/10/health/coffee-leads-to-longer-life-studies-reaffirm/index.html
- https://www.sciencealert.com/drinking-more-coffee-is-associated-with-a-longer-life-new-studies-show
