Millions of people depend on coffee every day to wake up and stay alert, but did you know that it’s nothing to feel guilty about? It turns out that coffee is actually nutritious and may have health benefits. Here are 10 benefits of drinking coffee that you may not have known about.

Many people believe that drinking coffee dehydrates you because of its caffeine, but that’s not the case. Caffeine is a diuretic, which makes you go to the bathroom more, but the hydrating power of the water in coffee can be stronger than the dehydrating effects of caffeine. If you’re worried, just switch to decaf if you are depend on caffeine for hydration.

You may know intuitively that caffeine makes you more alert and better able to focus, and there’s scientific evidence to back this up. Coffee can improve your memory and ability to make decisions and learn. It may even protect your cognitive abilities during the aging process.

Coffee is a low-calorie beverage, with about 5 calories per cup. Coffee boosts metabolism, which means that you burn more calories as your heart rate climbs and your breathing gets faster. Coffee also appears to support fat burning. These effects may help with weight control, which is not only good for how your clothes fit, but is also good for lowering risk for many chronic conditions. Just be sure that your coffee isn’t packed with high-calorie ingredients such as sugar and cream if you want to get the full benefits of weight control.

People who drink coffee regularly may have a lower risk for type 2 diabetes and uncontrolled high blood sugar. This effect may have to do with increasing insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body lower blood sugar by allowing glucose from your blood to exit the blood and go into other cells in the body. 

Coffee is packed with healthy compounds, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These can support health and protect cells against untimely damage from free radicals. Plus, Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee is free from contaminants, such as mold, mycotoxins, and heavy metals. 

It appears that people who drink coffee regularly may have a longer life expectancy. Scientists are not yet certain how this may happen, but it could have something to do with coffee’s ability to reduce levels of chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is implicated in many chronic conditions, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Coffee appears to be one of the healthiest beverages around, at least if you believe some of the recent research that’s been published, If you’re in agreement, you’ll want to choose one of the tastiest and purest brands of coffee to get full enjoyment from your beverages. Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee is gentle on the stomach and guaranteed free from synthetic chemicals, mold and mycotoxins, and heavy metals. Check out our selections of Whole Bean, Fresh Ground, and K Cup varieties in Regular, Decaf, and Half Caff.