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Why do you drink coffee? If you’re like many coffee drinkers, it’s because you love it. It’s there for you every day. It’s reliable. It may provide a jolt of badly needed energy to start your day or get you through your day.
But the pleasure is only the beginning. It turns out that there are tons of benefits of coffee. Some are related to the caffeine in caffeinated coffee, but some are related to other compounds in coffee, including in decaffeinated coffee. Coffee contains antioxidants.
And when you choose a low-acid coffee such as Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee, you can expect a coffee drinking experience with less acid to trigger acid reflux.
The Joy of Drinking Coffee
This one doesn’t need a pile of research backing it up. If you love coffee, drinking it can make you happier. Your regular coffee can be any or all of these.
- Energizing, such as in the morning when you get up and use caffeine to fully wake up.
- Comforting and reliable, when it tastes just as you expect and hope, every day.
- Relaxing, especially a cup of decaf after dinner when you are winding down.
- Inspirational, such as when starting the day and thoughtfully sipping your coffee.
If acid reflux or heartburn are concerns for you, you might want to choose a low-acid coffee such as Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee. That’s because many people report that coffee is a trigger for symptoms of GERD. Coffee is naturally an acidic beverage, but Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee has a lower acid content than the average of several national brands.
Ten More Benefits of Consuming Coffee
It’s not just about happiness, though that’s important, too. It turns out that there are many other possible benefits of drinking coffee! Here are 10 of them.
It may lower blood sugar.
Studies have looked at links between diabetes or high blood sugar and coffee consumption. Many of them have found that people who drink more coffee have a lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes. There may even be a benefit of coffee on glycemic control for people with diabetes.
This benefit of coffee may be related to effects of coffee on pancreatic beta cells. These are the cells that produce insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar in your body.
It can help with weight control.
Research has shown that coffee can support fat metabolism, which can contribute to fat loss and weight loss. In addition, the caffeine in coffee speeds metabolism. That is, when you drink caffeine, you burn more calories than you do without caffeine. Increased calorie burn helps with weight loss.
It may improve athletic performance.
Caffeine may increase fat oxidation, or the use of fat for fuel. That is important in endurance events, which depend more on body fat for fuel compared to stored glucose or glycogen. Still, be careful before taking caffeine for an athletic event or tough workout. Too much can lead to increased heart rate and rapid breathing that can reach dangerous levels, especially when you are already working your body as hard as possible during a competition.
It can support digestive health.
Coffee is a laxative. It can help reduce the risk of constipation. That’s because caffeine increases colon motility, which is the speed that food travels through your gut. Coffee may also stimulate digestion by causing an increase in function of certain digestive enzymes in the stomach, gallbladder, and pancreas.
Coffee is hydrating.
Brewed coffee is mostly water, which means it’s a hydrating beverage. Caffeine may be a diuretic, but the hydrating effects of coffee outweigh the diuretic effects. In other words, drinking coffee will hydrate you, not dehydrate you.
Severe dehydration is a serious condition that can lead to hospitalization, but even mild dehydration can lead to these symptoms.
- Headache
- Lack of energy
- Confusion
- Inability to concentrate
- Feelings of hunger
Mild dehydration is common. It is especially likely in mid-afternoon, which may be a good time for a cup of coffee. Just be sure to choose decaf if it’s within 6 hours of bedtime.
Low-calorie beverages are best for hydration. When you go to a coffee shop and order a flavored coffee beverage, you might end up with a lot of calories and sugar from flavoring syrup. That’s not good for weight control or health. When you make coffee at home with Alex’s Acid-Free Coffee, you can make your beverage your way. That means you can keep your coffee low in calories and sugar.
It can reduce risk for certain cancers.
Cancer is a complex family of conditions, but coffee appears to reduce risk for some of them. Oral cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma appear to be less likely in coffee drinkers compared to in people who do not drink coffee.
It could be good for the brain.
If you drink caffeinated coffee or take caffeine in other ways, you already know that caffeine is good for cognition. It can help you focus and think. There may be longer term benefits, too. Drinking coffee has been linked to lower risk for cognitive decline and dementia, including resulting from Alzheimer’s disease.
Caffeine isn’t the only compound in coffee that may be impacting the brain. It appears that polyphenols, which are also in decaf coffee, can also improve cognitive function acutely and possibly during aging.
It may lower risk for depression.
It seems that people who drink coffee have a lower risk for depression. This effect, if it is true, is likely due to the effect of caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee has not seemed to be linked to a lower risk of being diagnosed with depression.
Benefits of caffeine for depression are not yet certain, since studies have shown conflicting results. It’s always important to talk to a healthcare professional if you are concerned that you have symptoms of depression or you have thoughts of suicide.
It can lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder. People who drink coffee may have a lower risk for being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This may be partly due to the caffeine in coffee, but you can still likely get benefits if you drink decaf coffee. Compounds such as polyphenols and quercetin are present in regular and decaffeinated coffee, and may promote neurological benefits.
It may help reduce migraine symptoms.
This is another sticky one. There is conflicting evidence, but it does seem as though taking caffeine may help reduce pain associated with migraine attacks. That makes sense when you remember that some headache medications, such as Excedrin, are high in caffeine.
What about people who report getting migraines after drinking coffee? Well, it may be related to other factors. For example, people may be sleepy or low on energy, which can trigger migraines. They may drink coffee to combat their sleepiness and lethargy, but the migraine can still come. In this example, the headache comes after drinking coffee, but not as a result of drinking coffee.
If you do have migraines and headaches, it’s important to consider coffee consumption as part of your overall lifestyle. You may need to regulate or alter your caffeine consumption, and choosing decaf versions, such as Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Decaf Coffee, can let you limit caffeine without limiting coffee.
You’ll want to be aware that too much caffeine can have health risks. The general recommendation is to keep intake to less than about 400 mg per day. That’s about as much as is in 4 cups of brewed coffee. More than that, and you might get symptoms such as these.
- Nervousness
- Jitters
- Excessive urination
- Headache
- Irritability
- Rapid heart rate
It’s also best to keep caffeine intake to earlier in the day. You might want to stop drinking caffeine at least 6 hours before bedtime to avoid effects such as insomnia. Pregnant women especially should talk to their doctors about safe levels of caffeine and coffee consumption.
Coffee is not only delicious and part of daily life, but it can also be healthy. What a win! And with Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee, you can be sure of a reduced acidity coffee that is made from the highest quality beans. It has coffee beans from the Chiapas region of Mexico, as well as from Nicaragua and Honduras. They’re balanced and delicious, especially when roasted to a French roast for a deep flavor. Plus, Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee is certified organic through the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP).