Caffeine health benefits are one of life’s good old fashioned paradoxes which researchers have struggled with for decades. While they continue to conduct their studies, us consumers continue to drink it. A lot of it. Its the most widely used substance on the planet and supposedly, humans drink 1.5 to 2.5 billion cups of coffee worldwide every day.
The good news that researchers told us in the second quarter of 2019, is that drinking five cups of coffee a day is no worse for the arteries than drinking less than one cup. Actually, even those who drank up to 25 cups a day were no more likely to experience stiffening of the arteries than someone drinking less than a cup a day.
Caffeine simply acts as a natural stimulant by activating our central nervous systems. It can fight fatigue and increase both concentration and the ability to focus. But scientists and researchers have slowly released the real benefits over the course of many years, and with this new study in tow, its good to know caffeine’s health benefits.
Even though we know the coffee bean has some powerful antioxidants, how do our bodies really win with caffeine?
Caffeine May Prevent Cancer
Skin Cancer
Consuming coffee may decrease the risk of developing melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Scientists performed a study in mice, that showed that a greater consumption of coffee is directly correlated with a decreased risk of developing melanoma.
Liver Cancer
Caffeine reduces fatty liver, the risk of liver fibrosis in Hepatitis C patients, and a ~30% reduced risk of a certain liver cancer. People should drink roughly 2-4 cups a day to reap protective benefits of reducing fatty liver and the risk of liver fibrosis. For liver cancer, consuming 1-3 cups a day could do the trick.
Even more interestingly, there is such a thing as a caffeine enema, and it works. It detoxes the liver and cleanses the colon.
Mouth and Throat Cancer
Caffeinated coffee reduces the risk of mouth and throat cancer by a whopping 50%. People that consumed 4 or more cups a day had the least risk of developing the cancer.
Colorectal Cancer
The risk of colorectal cancer also decreases with caffeine. Only a moderate amount of drinking can reduce risks by up to 26%.
AutoImmune Diseases
Alzheimer’s Disease
Its the build-up of a certain brain plaque that causes Alzheimer’s Disease. A recent study demonstrated that caffeine can help prevent this plaque build-up. Scientists isolated these compounds in roasted coffee and discovered this phenomenon.
Parkinson’s Disease
New research has revealed that drinking coffee decreases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Another study also showed that when caffeine was combined with a compound called EHT (found in coffee beans) it provided protection to rats genetically predisposed to the disease.
Multiple Sclerosis
Recent research showed that at least 4 cups of coffee a day may help protect against both the risk of developing multiple sclerosis as well as its recurrence. The mechanism that scientists believe is behind it, is the neural inflammation that caffeine inhibits. It is believed that the coffee prevents the neural inflammation that leads to the disease developing.
Other Caffeine Health Benefits
Kidney Stones and Kidney Disease
Kidney stones are more likely to form when urine is not dilute enough. In a large study, caffeine drinkers had less kidney stone formation, because the caffeine made the urine more dilute. Caffeine has also been shown to decrease the risk of death in kidney disease sufferers. Lastly, it may protect against the progression rate of the disease itself.
Asthma Sufferers
For individuals who suffer from asthma, theophylline can be a life-saver. Its used as a bronchodilator to open up the airways inside the lungs. Caffeine comes from the same family as this drug and has been shown to have similar effects on asthma patients. Caffeine can potentially help patients breathe better naturally.
Heart Disease
Caffeine protects and alleviates a number of ailments related to heart disease, including:
- Decreasing the number of heart rhythm hospitalizations
- Decreasing chronic inflammation, by blocking a certain gene expression that causes it. Without blocking this gene expression, the inflammation would lead to high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, and heart disease.
- Strengthening heart muscle cell function and lifespan when consuming 4 cups daily
- Lowering blood pressure of those who have at least 4 cups of tea or coffee a day
- Decreasing the mortality rate of those who suffer a heart attack, by drinking more than 2 cups of coffee a day
Type 2 Diabetes
Although coffee is often consumed in lesser amounts, those who consumed 6 or more cups per day were shown to have a 22% lower risk of diabetes. This pans out to be about a decrease in the risk of type 2 diabetes by 9% for each cup of coffee consumed in one day.
Caffeine Health Benefits of Random Conditions
Suicide
A 10-year study of 86,000 women showed that there was a reduced risk of suicide among coffee drinkers. Another study showed that women who drink at least 4 cups of coffee in a day were 20% less likely to develop depression.
Eyesight
Both eyelid spasms (commonly known as twitching) as well as cataracts can be prevented when individuals consume coffee.
Premature Babies
When caffeine is administered to premature babies, it dramatically improves lung function and the overall survival rate of the baby’s life. There has also been new research that has come out to demonstrate that this therapy does not have any long-term side effects.
Cavities and Periodontal Disease
Plain black coffee has been shown to prevent cavities in teeth by killing the bacteria that leads to tooth decay. Black coffee may also protect against periodontal disease.
The Bottom Line about Caffeine Health Benefits
When drinking caffeine, numerous health benefits may be happening in the body simultaneously. Either way, its good to know just how many cups are appropriate for both major diseases and minor ailments.
Like with any food, beverage, or drug, moderation is the key. So don’t go nuts. Caffeine health benefits are real, when treated like any other medication.
For more information on the health benefits of caffeine, visit https://www.coffeescience.org.
