10 reasons to fully embrace your coffee addiction

It can actually be good for you!

Few liquids hold as much power as coffee. Just the thought and smell of it is enough to awaken the most sleep-deprived. No wonder then, that it’s the backbone of the success of countless professionals and the one reason to breathe every morning for many. So, as compiled from Her Family, here are some reasons why you should be thankful for your caffeine addiction.

Coffee  gives you a healthier liver

Drinking coffee every day actually improves your liver. It’s been shown that people who consumed four or more cups daily have as much as an 80% lower rate of cirrhosis of the liver. People who drink this same amount also have as much as a 40% lower rate of developing liver cancer.

Black coffee makes you smarter

Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant. When you drink coffee, the caffeine travels into your digestive system, your blood stream, and eventually to your brain (this takes roughly 30-45 minutes). When it hits your brain, it blocks one of your inhibitory neurotransmitters, Adenosine. This leads to an increase in other neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and dopamine), causing the neurons in your brain to fire more rapidly. All this boosts your mood, energy, memory, response times and general cognitive functioning.

It can boost your metabolism by 11%

Caffeine is found in nearly every fat burning or weight loss supplement. This doesn’t mean you should drink it, instead of working out though.

And lower your risk of Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s is associated with a drop in dopamine and since caffeine boosts dopamine levels, drinking black coffee reduces the chances of developing the disease. Regular coffee drinkers have been shown to be at 32-60% lower risk.

Black coffee also fights depression

Dopamine is commonly known as the “pleasure chemical,” so it makes sense that consuming anything to increase dopamine will make you happier and less depressed.  People who drink four or more cups of black coffee daily have a 20% lower chance of depression, and are over 50% less likely to commit suicide.



Coffee contains important nutrients

If you drink coffee, it’s your single largest source of antioxidants. Some important nutrients include Vitamins B2, B3 and B5, Manganese, Magnesium and Potassium. Also, the human body absorbs more nutrients from coffee than it does from other popular sources of antioxidants like fruits and vegetables.

Black coffee reduces risk of heart disease

Those who drink it regularly have a 20% less risk for strokes and generally have lower rates of heart disease. As caffeine increases your heart rate, coffee is actually good for cardiovascular health.

As well as several types of cancer

Coffee also works well to reduce your chances of colorectal cancer. People who drink four to five cups of black coffee have a 15% lower risk of it, and a 40% lower risk of liver cancer. Coffee also reduces your risk for skin cancer, particularly in women, by about 20%.

…While keeping you calm(er)

Even just smelling coffee makes you feel calmer. It actually changes the composition of a protein in the brain that’s associated with stress, specifically stress as a result of sleep deprivation.

Coffee prevents dementia and Alzheimer’s

It generally enhances memory, thanks to caffeine’s effects on some of neurotransmitters. By continually enhancing your memory over time, especially as you grow old, you reduce your chances for dementia and Alzheimer’s. Regular coffee drinkers have actually shown to have as much as a 65% reduced risk of developing the world’s most common neurodegenerative disease.

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