Coffee is notorious for its reputation as the constant companion of the stereotypical jittery, barely functioning workaholic. Although the favored source of caffeine for millions, coffee is more than a vehicle for the stimulant. It also boasts an impressive number of antioxidants that deliver a host of health benefits.
Boost Your Performance
While coffee is more than its caffeine content, there is no denying the effect the stimulant can have on physical and mental performance. Caffeine works by binding with adenosine receptors. Adenosine is a hormone that indicates fatigue to the body. Without adenosine, the levels of energizing and motivating hormones like norepinephrine and dopamine remain high.
This hormonally driven increase in energy and motivation systems leads to mental and physical performance improvement. This triggers your body to burn fat for energy while also increasing the heart rate, both factors that can improve physical performance. At the same time, it also increases focus, improves memory, and shortens reaction time.
Lowers Disease Risk
Studies have shown coffee drinkers are at lower risk for a range of metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Whether this is a function of the surprising amount of antioxidants present in coffee, the caffeine, or another factor not yet discovered is uncertain. Yet proof continues to build that something about the beverage has a strong positive impact on the drinker’s health.
Coffee contains a wealth of nutrients and antioxidants that survive both the roasting process and brewing. A single cup may contain anywhere from 2% to 11% of your daily recommended intake of several B vitamins plus manganese and potassium, all important for metabolic and cardiovascular function.
These antioxidants may explain why coffee drinkers show a reduced risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, liver diseases, and certain types of cancer. The antioxidants may also be behind the reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, dementia, and Alzheimer’s by as much as 65% for daily coffee drinkers.
If you have avoided coffee up until now, perhaps it’s time to give it a try.
