The joys (and benefits) of coffee!

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**"Say what now?"** Rejoice people I bring you some good news, don't feel guilty about your daily cups of java any longer. I often find myself encountered with the idea that coffee is somehow an unhealthy drink and even worse that as part of a "Detox" or fancy new diet people are cutting it out. It is, in fact, a very healthy beverage and one I encourage to incorporate into your life. So sit back grab a cup and read over some of the benefits you're reaping.

*"Ummm ok, that might be a tad overkill"* **1 - Metabolic boost.** We all know coffee contains caffeine (average is between 90mg-100mg) per cup. One of the effects of caffeine on the body is a boost to the metabolic rate. When you increase your metabolic rate you're increasing the amount of calories it takes for the body to function. This is why every fat burning supplement you look at will always contain the compound caffeine as it is one of the few compounds proven to boost the metabolism. So rather than waste money on FAT BURNER XTREME: REVENGE OF THE METABOLISM, just have a strong cup of coffee pre-workout. One downside, however, is these effects can diminish over time as your sensitivity to caffeine decreases. Summary: Caffeine (found in coffee) is an excellent way to increase the metabolism. **2 - Increased exercise performance (strength and endurance).** One of the more potent effects of caffeine is the impact it has upon exercise performance. Ergogenic aids are compounds that have a performance-enhancing effect. Studies have shown that caffeine can increase performance in exercise testing protocols by 12.3%. In another study with cyclists the group that ingested caffeine or coffee prior to exercise recorded great overall power output and improved overall endurance. In conjunction with this, research seems to support that caffeine also has an effect on strength with it seemingly stimulating the CNS (central nervous system). So again rather than waste money on sugary pre-workout drinks or expensive pre-workout formulas, drink a strong coffee prior to training. Summary: Increased exercise performance in strength and endurance has been demonstrated with caffeine. **3 - Decrease in neurodegenerative diseases.** Drinking coffee has shown powerful protective effects in regards to Alzheimers and Parkinson's, the two most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimers is a chronic condition that is responsible for between 60% to 70% of dementia cases. Numerous studies have shown that coffee prevents cognitive impairment with up to a 65% lower risk being seen. Parkinson's is a disease that affects the CNS resulting in neuronal death, particularly amongst the dopamine-generating cells. The research has shown a clear trend towards the preventive effects of coffee on parkinson's with higher dosages having a greater effect. Summary: Coffee has potent protective mechanisms in relation to brain health, and has been seen to have a greater benefit in higher doses. **4 - Lower risk of diabetes.** One of the oncoming health crises of the modern era is the dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes. This disease results in higher blood sugar levels due to the resistance of the body to insulin, the hormone responsible for shuttling it out of the bloodstream. However, the good news is that coffee drinkers have shown a significantly lower risk of developing it in the first place, with up to a 67% decrease in risk. It should be said however this effect is mitigated if you include sugar or are consuming one of the numerous-calorie laden beverages from places such as Starbucks. Summary: Consuming coffee can have a dramatic effect on reducing risk of developing diabetes, just avoid adding sugar or the high calorie versions from coffee shops. **5 - Lower risk of liver disease.** Our modern lifestyle is definitely not always liver-friendly with alcohol and fructose being detrimental to liver health and function. This can result in scar tissue developing on the liver commonly known as cirrhosis. Another prevalent issue is cancer of the liver being the second most fatal form of cancer globally. With this in mind liver health should be an important issue for society to tackle. Coffee has demonstrated up 84% reduction in cirrhosis risk and 40% reduction in liver cancer risk, this has been demonstrated to also be dose respondent. Summary: Drinking coffee has protective effects for your liver, the more you drink the greater these effects were seen to be. **Conclusion** So hopefully I have made a strong case for you to include coffee as part of your diet. I do acknowledge there are a few potential downsides when consuming coffee such as increased anxiety for certain individuals and it is an addictive substance so withdrawal can lead to symptoms such as headaches and irritability. Overall however the upsides far outweigh the downsides, and the trend of excluding coffee as some sort of detox for the liver or otherwise is completely unfounded. So I encourage to raise a cup of the black stuff (coffee not Guinness) and reap the myriad of benefits it brings.

*"Damnit Obama! I said coffee, not Guinness!"* Enjoy, Tom P.S: Decaf coffee is made using chemical solvents to get rid of the caffeine and does not have the same benefits as regular coffee.
Originally posted here: https://steemit.com/food/@thp88/the-joys-and-benefits-of-coffee