COFFEE FACT & BENEFIT

Reasons Why You Should Drink Coffee Every Day

There really can't be any adult in this great big world that has never tried coffee. It's consumed everywhere, and judging by the amount of Starbucks locations in the United States alone, (in 2012, there were 10,924!) we love our caffeine.

And that's fine. In fact, there are many advantages to being one of the 54 percent of Americans over 18 who drink coffee everyday. Coffee can be pretty amazing for your brain, your skin and your body. Read on to discover 11 reasons you should wake up and smell the coffee...

Americans get more antioxidants from coffee than anything else.

According to a study done in 2005, "nothing else comes close" to providing as many antioxidants as coffee. While fruits and vegetables also have tons of antioxidants, the human body seems to absorb the most from coffee.

Just smelling coffee could make you less stressed.

Researchers at the Seoul National University examined the brains of rats who were stressed with sleep deprivation and discovered that those who were exposed to coffee aromas experienced changes in brain proteins tied to that stress. Note, this aroma study doesn't relate to stress by itself, only to the stress felt as a result of sleep deprivation. Now, we're not entirely sure if this means you should keep a bag of roasted coffee beans on your nightstand every night, but feel free to try!

Coffee could lessen the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

ScienceDaily reported in 2012 that drinking coffee may help people with Parkinson's disease control their movement. Ronald Postuma, MD, the study author, said, "Studies have shown that people who use caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, but this is one of the first studies in humans to show that caffeine can help with movement symptoms for people who already have the disease."

Coffee is great for your liver (especially if you drink alcohol).

A study published in 2006 that included 125,000 people over 22 years showed that those who drink at least one cup of coffee a day were 20 percent less to develop liver cirrhosis -- an autoimmune disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption that could lead to liver failure and cancer. Arthur L Klatsky, the lead author of the study, told The Guardian, "Consuming coffee seems to have some protective benefits against alcoholic cirrhosis, and the more coffee a person consumes the less risk they seem to have of being hospitalised or dying of alcoholic cirrhosis."

Studies have also shown that coffee can help prevent people from developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). An international team of researchers led by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School revealed that drinking four or more cups of coffee or tea a day may be beneficial in preventing the progression of NAFLD.

Coffee can make you feel happier.

A study done by the National Institute of Health found that those who drink four or more cups of coffee were about 10 percent less likely to be depressed than those who had never touched the java. And apparently it's not because of the "caffeine high" -- Coke can also give you a caffeine high, but it's linked to depression. Study author, Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, told Prevention.com that the proposed reason coffee makes you feel good is because of those trusty antioxidants.

Coffee consumption has been linked to lower levels of suicide.

A study done by the Harvard School of Public Health determined that drinking between two and four cups of coffee can reduce the risk of suicide in men and women by about 50 percent. The proposed reason is because coffee acts as a mild antidepressant by aiding in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline.

Coffee could reduce your chances of getting skin cancer (if you're a woman).

Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School followed 112,897 men and women over a 20-year period and, apparently, women who drink three or more cups of coffee a day are much less likely to develop skin cancer than those who don't.

Coffee can make you a better athlete.

The New York Times reports, "Scientists and many athletes have known for years, of course, that a cup of coffee before a workout jolts athletic performance, especially in endurance sports like distance running and cycling." Caffeine increases the number of fatty acids in the bloodstream, which allows athletes' muscles to absorb and burn those fats for fuel, therefore saving the body's small reserves of carbohydrates for later on in the exercise.

Coffee could reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Coffee also lowers risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to a study from The American Chemical Society. The study's researchers found that people who drink four or more cups of coffee a day reduce their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 50 percent. Subsequently, with every additional cup, the risk gets lowered by 7 percent.

Drinking coffee could help keep your brain healthier for longer.

Researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Miami found that people older than 65 who had higher blood levels of caffeine developed Alzheimer's disease two to four years later than others with lower caffeine. Dr. Chuanhai Cao, a neuroscientist at the USF, and co-author of the study, said, "We are not saying that moderate coffee consumption will completely protect people from Alzheimer's disease. However, we firmly believe that moderate coffee consumption can appreciably reduce your risk of Alzheimer's or delay its onset."

Coffee may make you more intelligent.

You usually drink coffee when you are sleep-deprived, right? Well, that much-needed jolt not only keeps you awake, it makes you sharper. CNN reports that coffee allows your brain to work in a much more efficient and smarter way. TIME reporter, Michael Lemonick, says, "When you're sleep-deprived and you take caffeine, pretty much anything you measure will improve: reaction time, vigilance, attention, logical reasoning -- most of the complex functions you associate with intelligence."

10 Things You Might Not Know About Caffeine

Most of us consume it every day, but how much do we really know about caffeine?

The naturally-occurring substance with a bitter taste stimulates the central nervous system, making you feel more alert. In moderate doses, it can actually offer health benefits, including boosts to memory, concentration and mental health. And coffee in particular, a major source of caffeine for Americans, has been associated with a host of body perks, including a possible decreased risk of alzheimer's disease and certain cancers.

But in excess amounts, caffeine overuse can trigger a fast heart rate, insomnia, anxiety and restlessness, among other side effects. Abruptly stopping use can lead to symptoms of withdrawal, including headaches and irritability.

Below are 10 lesser-known facts about one of the most common drugs in the world.

Decaf isn't the same as caffeine free.

Think switching to decaf in the afternoon means you aren't getting any of the stimulant? Think again. One Journal of Analytical Toxicology report looked at nine different types of decaffeinated coffee and determined that all but one contained caffeine. The dose ranged from 8.6 mg to 13.9 mg. (A generic brewed cup of regular coffee typically contains between 95 and 200 mg, as a point of comparison. A 12-ounce can of Coke contains between 30 and 35 mg, according to the Mayo Clinic.)

"If someone drinks five to 10 cups of decaffeinated coffee, the dose of caffeine could easily reach the level present in a cup or two of caffeinated coffee," study co-author Bruce Goldberger, Ph.D., a professor and director of UF's William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine, said in a statement when the study was released. "This could be a concern for people who are advised to cut their caffeine intake, such as those with kidney disease or anxiety disorders."

A 2007 Consumer Reports analysis looked at 36 cups of decaffeinated coffee and found that some contained more than 20 mg, Health.com reported.

Caffeine starts working in just minutes.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, it takes about 30 to 60 minutes for caffeine to reach its peak level in the blood (one study found increased alertness can begin in as few as 10 minutes). The body typically eliminates half of the drug in three to five hours, and the remainder can linger for eight to 14 hours. Some people, particularly those who don't regularly consume caffeine, are more sensitive to the effects than others.

Sleep experts often recommend abstaining from caffeine at least eight hours before bedtime to avoid wakefulness at night.

But it doesn't affect everyone the same way.

The body might process caffeine differently based on gender, race and even birth control use. New York magazine previously reported:

    Women generally metabolize caffeine faster than men. Smokers process it twice as quickly as nonsmokers do. Women taking birth-control pills metabolize it at perhaps one-third the rate that women not on the Pill do. Asians may do so more slowly than people of other races. In The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World’s Most Popular Drug, authors Bennett Alan Weinberg and Bonnie K. Bealer hypothesize that a nonsmoking Japanese man drinking his coffee with an alcoholic beverage -- another slowing agent -- would likely feel caffeinated “about five times longer than an Englishwoman who smoked cigarettes but did not drink or use oral contraceptives.”

Energy drinks often don't have more caffeine than coffee.

By definition, one might reasonably think that energy drinks would pack loads of caffeine. But many popular brands actually contain considerably less than an old-fashioned cup of black coffee. An 8.4-ounce serving of Red Bull, for instance, has a relatively modest 76 to 80 mg of caffeine, compared to the 95 to 200 mg in a typical cup of coffee, the Mayo Clinic reports. What many energy drink brands frequently do have, though, is tons of sugar and hard-to-pronounce ingredients (check out our video report on the subject here). And for more on how much caffeine is in tea, soft drinks and other products, click here.

Dark roast coffees actually have less caffeine than lighter roasts.

A strong, rich flavor might seem to indicate an extra dose of caffeine, but the truth is that light roasts actually pack more of a jolt than dark roasts. The process of roasting burns off caffeine, NPR reported, meaning those looking for a less intense buzz might want to opt for the dark roast java at the coffee shop.

Caffeine can be found naturally in more than 60 plants.

It's not just coffee beans: tea leaves, kola nuts (which flavor colas) and cocoa beans all contain caffeine. The stimulant is found naturally in the leaves, seeds and fruits of a wide variety of plants. It can also be manmade and added to products.

Not all coffee has the same amount of caffeine.

When if comes to caffeine, all coffees are not created equal. According to a recent report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, popular brands varied widely when it comes to the jolt they provided. McDonald's, for instance, had 9.1 mg per fluid ounce, while Starbucks packed more than double that at a full 20.6 milligrams. For more on those findings, click here.

The average American consumes about 200 mg of caffeine a day.

According to the FDA, 80 percent of U.S. adults consume caffeine each day, with an individual intake of 200 mg. To put that in real world terms, the average caffeine-consuming American drinks two five-ounce cups of coffee or about four sodas.

While another estimate puts the total closer to 300 mg, both numbers fall within the definition of moderate caffeine consumption, which is between 200 and 300 mg, according to the Mayo Clinic. Daily doses higher than 500 to 600 mg daily are considered heavy, and may cause problems such as insomnia, irritability and a fast heartbeat, among others.

But we're far from being the country that consumes the most.

According to a recent BBC article, Finland takes the crown for the country with the highest caffeine consumption, with the average adult downing 400 mg each day. Worldwide, 90 percent of people use caffeine in some form, the FDA says.

You can find caffeine in more than just drinks.

According to one FDA report, more than 98 percent of our caffeine intake comes from beverages. But those aren't the only sources of caffeine: certain foods, such as chocolate (though not much: a one-ounce milk chocolate bar contains only about 5 mg of caffeine), and medications can also contain caffeine. Combining a pain reliever with caffeine can make it 40 percent more effective, the Cleveland Clinic reports, and can also help the body to absorb the medication more quickly.



Have A Cuppa: Why Drinking Tea Or Coffee Is Good For You

Break out the tea trolley and fire up the kettle - a new study has revealed that tea and coffee drinkers have lower blood pressure than people who don't drink the beverages at all. Those who drink around four cups a day also have lower heart rates.

Although there was no distinction made between herbal and caffeinated teas, coffee was included in the study by the Preventive and Clinical Investigations Centre in Paris.

High blood pressure is a major concern for the middle aged and over 65s, as it increases the risk of heart disease, strokes and other conditions. In England, 32% of men are being treated for high blood pressure, and 29% of women.

The NHS advises that to reduce high blood pressure, you should drink no more than four cups a day due to the caffeine present in these drinks, but the study challenges that advice. The blood pressure of almost 200,000 men and women in France was measured, and the age range was between 16 to 95.

    HAVE A CUPPA:

        - Tea contains fluoride, which is good for the teeth

        - Tea also has antioxidants, which are great for fighting free radicals (toxins)

        - The caffeine in coffee aids a workout as it raises the metabolic rate

        - Coffee actually has B vitamins and minerals

Those who drank tea and coffee often had better health. The participants were divided into three groups - one had no coffee and tea, another drank no more than four cups and the third had more than four cups.

According to Medical Daily, results revealed heavy tea drinkers benefited the most and had the lowest systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings, as well as the lowest pulse pressure and heart rate.

What this may mean, researchers say, is that the flavonoids found in tea could help relax blood vessels, which decreases blood pressure and calms the nervous system.

This isn't the first time tea's health benefits have been touted so highly - the BBC published a story about how drinking two or three cups a day was healthier than drinking water.

Dr. Bruno Pannier from the Preventative and Clinical Investigations Center presented the study's findings to the European Society of Hypertension in Milan and said more research needs to be done to explain the benefits and negatives of tea and coffee drinking.

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