We know that you probably wouldn’t give up your morning coffee—regardless of the health risks. Well, the good news is that many aspects of your morning brew are actually quite good for you if you’re willing to make a few minor changes.
Here are fifteen reasons why you should be drinking coffee…
1. If you want to shed some pounds…
If you’re looking to lose weight, an easy place to start is with how you take your coffee. Drink your morning cup minus the creamer, and sugar, and opt instead for low-fat milk or drink it black to avoid excess calories.
Coffee, particularly darker roasts, contains caffeine, which encourages the metabolism, and in turn, promotes weight loss. You don’t want to have those benefits outweighed by all that fat and sugar from your added ingredients!
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2. If you suffer from acid reflux…
There’s a long list of dos and don’ts for people who regularly experience acid reflux. Darker roast beans are gentler on your tummy because they produce less stomach acid and contain less caffeine—two major acid reflux culprits.
The best part about this is that you can still enjoy your morning cup of coffee with some small modifications. A lot of times, it comes down to the details of your diet in addition to the big picture.
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3. If you have weak tooth enamel…
Rotting teeth is one of those things that make people cringe and do just about anything to avoid it. You may think that coffee could have a negative effect on your teeth in this context, but it’s actually quite the opposite.
Coffee is rich in Trigonelline, a chemical that acts as a shield, protecting your teeth from nasty, decaying bacteria. So the good news is that drinking 1 to 2 cups a day is a plus for oral health—minus the sugar.
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4. If you’re worried about high cholesterol…
High cholesterol is a major health issue. In fact, over 90 million Americans have higher than normal cholesterol. Having your coffee go through a filter reduces the cafestol making your morning cup of goodness actually good for you!
Brew your coffee using a filter or in a built-in, single serve Keurig or Tassimo cup versus using a Bodum or French press, both of which contain cafestol, a cholesterol-elevating substance the can increase your cholesterol by approximately 10-percent.
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5. If you’re worried about wrinkles…
There are not too many people who aren’t worried about getting wrinkles. Who cares though? Wrinkles show that you’ve lived a long life. At the same time, you don’t want to speed up the process! Believe it or not, coffee may be able to slow down the development of wrinkles.
If you want to take preventative measures, reach for an organic brew, which is packed full of antioxidants to help reduce oxidation, cell damage, and the general aging process.
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6. If you struggle to get to sleep…
A cup of morning coffee make sense because you are needing that little kick of caffeine for the first half of your day. The problem is when you start drinking multiple cups of coffee and it starts interfering with your precious sleep cycle.
As a solution, drink coffee in moderation and never drink it within 7-hours of bedtime. Why? Because studies show that it takes up to 7-hours for caffeine to flush out of your body.
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7. Concerns about your prostate…
Who knew what type of coffee you drank could contribute to the health (or lack thereof) of your prostate! When you have prostate concerns, turn to your coffee maker to ensure you are consuming the right coffee for your body.
When taking preventative steps towards a healthy prostate, opt for drinking dark coffee. Recent studies credit the nutrients and antioxidants within dark roast coffee beans to reducing the risk of prostate cancer by up to 60-percent.
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8. If you have a family history of heart disease…
Unfortunately, heart disease is a health problem that can run in your family. It’s also a very common genetic trend. While you don’t want to obsess over it, you can also ensure that you are living a healthy lifestyle to promote a healthy heart.
When attempting to prevent heart disease, make the transition to decaf coffee. This can reduce the risk of heart attack because it lacks the caffeine jolt that makes your blood pressure spike suddenly.
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9. To prevent memory loss…
A lot of us have difficulty remembering what we ate for supper yesterday, let alone memories from our childhood! As we get older, our memories can fail us. In some cases such as Alzheimer’s, it becomes a serious issue.
Dark roast coffee purchased in whole bean form is proven to be a richer source of antioxidants, which have been linked to lower Alzheimer’s risk, compared to light roast coffee beans. Whole beans retain the antioxidant properties longer when you grind them as you need them (this also prevents rancidity).
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10. To reduce your risk of colon cancer…
Wanting to keep your colon healthy and cancer free? While cancer is a tricky disease, your daily coffee may help you achieve this goal by making a few small changes to your morning brew.
Start by opting for a lighter (and equally tasty) roast. For example, American roast or French roast, which are roasted for less time and therefore able to retain the cancer-fighting compounds within, which are often destroyed in darker roasts. It’s definitely worth a shot!
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11. If you want to reduce your chances of liver disease…
If you love your wine or beer every night, that may be an okay treat to have, but you need to mind your liver! Your liver goes through quite the beating when it comes to drinking.
If you are wanting to reduce your risk of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), coffee is a great resource for you. PSC is an autoimmune disease that is not common but has an increased risk of affecting those who drink. It is said that if you drink one to two cups of coffee per day, there is a chance you could reduce your chances of getting PSC by 66%.
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12. If you want to reduce your chances of type 2 diabetes…
Type 2 diabetes has a wide range of causes that we can’t always put our finger on every time. However, there are measures you can take to help reduce your chances of getting diabetes that are definitely worth a try.
Consuming coffee on a daily basis can actually help reduce your chances of getting type 2 diabetes. Just make sure you don’t add any high sugar ingredients to that perfect hot drink though! That will counteract the good stuff that coffee can do for your health.
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13. If you want to avoid the caffeine crash…
We typically drink coffee for the awakening effects it has on our body, but we rarely talk about the caffeine crash that happens after we feel wide awake. When we drink coffee, the caffeine triggers the release of glucose which turns into energy, thus causing us to feel more awake. This spikes our insulin and when that insulin returns to normal, we get exhausted.
Instead of drinking coffee on an empty stomach, eat a good, hearty breakfast beforehand. This can help slow down the insulin spike and help the positive effects of caffeine last much longer.
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14. If you want to boost your immune system…
Coffee is one hot, hot drink, which usually means that there’s a lot of people who especially enjoy sipping it in cooler weather. Cooler weather is often the time when our bodies start getting sick with colds and the flu, which is never fun!
Adding 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil to your coffee each day can not only contribute to a stronger immune system, but it also helps boost that delicious coffee flavor. Lauric acid makes up 50% of coconut oil’s fatty acids which is the same ingredient used to treat a variety of colds and the flu.
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15. You want others to be healthy just like you…
A lot of times we are quick to grab the first bag of coffee we recognize on the grocery store shelf without thinking of where it came from. You may have noticed the increased awareness about where our food comes from over the past few years, and the same interest should be given to coffee.
A lot of people who harvest coffee beans are not paid well or treated well. This promotes the cycle of poverty in developing countries, making it difficult for people to achieve a better life. Next time you go to buy coffee, check to see if the bag has the fair trade emblem on it. With this certification, you can be confident that the employees are being treated well and getting paid a livable wage in their countries. Coffee has never been so life changing!
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