The benefits of drinking one to six cups of coffee a day for the body –

A cup of strong coffee can be an important start to the day, but the benefits can go beyond that boost.

Studies show that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of a number of serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver and certain types of cancer.

And the results of a recently published 10-year study show that moderate coffee consumption is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death from any cause.

While its benefits are mostly associated with ground coffee, there are some benefits for instant coffee as well. In addition to caffeine, coffee contains minerals, particularly magnesium (for bone health and muscle function), potassium (which plays a role in blood pressure), and vitamin B3 (necessary for releasing energy from food and a healthy nervous system). ).

And the risks? Some studies have linked coffee to high cholesterol. But this may have to do with the way the drink is prepared.

Studies show that coffee drinkers are at a lower risk of some serious conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, and some cancers.

“Most of the research has focused on the boiled, unfiltered coffee popular in Scandinavia and Turkey.” explains dietitian Helen Bond.

While brewed coffee tends to be filtered and ready to drink, it contains natural oils called cafetol and kahweol, which can slightly increase cholesterol production. But what about the idea that caffeine is bad for the heart because of its “stimulant” effect?

In fact, a recent study found that each additional cup of coffee per day reduces the risk of heart rhythm problems by 3%, reports the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

But you can still take too much. The European Food Safety Agency says 400 mg of caffeine intake, equivalent to four cups of coffee a day, is fine for most adults.

However, individual sensitivity to caffeine varies. Some people can tolerate six or more glasses a day very well, and others feel jittery after a glass or two.

Pregnant women are advised to stick to 200mg of caffeine a day (about two cups of filter coffee), according to the NHS, as excess caffeine has been linked to low birth weight (possibly because it affects blood flow to the placenta).

Here are the health benefits that will justify your daily coffee habit, from one cup to six.

a mug

Health Effect: Increases alertness and promotes bowel movements

About 100 mg of caffeine in a cup of strong coffee increases alertness by temporarily blocking the action of adenosine, a chemical that signals the body to be sleepy.

“The two chemicals have similar molecular structures, and caffeine can block the adenosine receptor,” says Helen Bond. And the effect of this is to cheer you up.

In a 2012 study published in the journal Psychopharmacology, a single cup of coffee in the middle of a four-hour simulated highway driving session helped drivers feel less tired, reduce time spent on the road, and stay at a steady pace.

In a 2012 study published in the journal Psychopharmacology, a single cup of coffee in the middle of a four-hour simulated highway driving session helped drivers feel less tired, reduce time spent on the road, and move at a more steady pace. to step

A cup of coffee can also stimulate the intestines. In a major 1990 survey in the journal Gut, 29% of coffee drinkers said their morning coffee gave them the urge to go to the bathroom – and indeed their bowel activities mirrored this with regular decaffeinated coffee. minute.

One theory is that the caffeine and other chemicals in coffee stimulate the release of digestive hormones followed by intestinal contractions.

Another study found that caffeinated coffee stimulated colon movements more strongly than water for a 1,000-calorie meal. Decaffeinated coffee also stimulated the colon more than water, but was only about 80% as effective as caffeine.

Interestingly, drinking coffee consistently every day is linked to a healthier gut microbiome with more types of anti-inflammatory bacteria.

“Filtered coffee is a good source of a beneficial plant compound called chlorogenic acid,” explains Helen Bond. ‘This acts as a prebiotic’ [food] allowing our gut microbes to develop and produce compounds that are beneficial to our health, such as short-chain fatty acids [linked to mood]†

two cups

Health effect: Increases training resistance and protects the heart

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition in the United States, a few strong cups of coffee can improve physical performance.

The researchers found that the amount needed to improve endurance and speed as well as performance in interval sprinting sports such as calcium is between 3mg and 6mg of caffeine per kg of body weight, which is a minimum of 195mg (about two cups of coffee). For someone weighing 65 kg (10 pieces of 3 lbs).

Its stimulating effect on the nervous system reduces fatigue and the perception of effort.

Drinking two cups of coffee (standard, decaffeinated) a day may also reduce the risk of heart failure, where the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently throughout the body.

According to a University of Colorado study last year, people who drank two or more drinks a day had a 30 percent lower risk of heart failure. body removes sugar from the blood) and provides the body’s water balance.

three glasses

Health Impact: May reduce stroke and Parkinson’s risk

The study, published in January in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology and involving nearly half a million Brits, found that drinking about three cups of ground coffee a day reduced the risk of stroke by 21% compared to people who drank coffee. Coffee.

Those who consumed three glasses a day were 17% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease overall and 12% less likely to die prematurely from any cause.

The antioxidants and other compounds in beans are believed to be vital and protect against damage to arteries that can lead to heart problems and strokes.

The caffeine in coffee may also help prevent and manage Parkinson’s disease by helping maintain levels of dopamine, the brain chemical involved in controlling movements that recover from illness.

A 2014 study by Shandong University and Qingdao University, both located in China, found that the protective effect of coffee against Parkinson’s disease peaks at about three cups a day (with a 28% lower risk).

four glasses

Health effect: Protects against fatty liver and provides nutrients

A study last year found that people who drank three to four cups of coffee a day had a 19% lower risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, in which fat builds up in the liver and can cause serious damage. Three Britons are affected by this diet- and lifestyle-related illness.

Research by the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh found that three to four cups a day is linked to a 21% lower risk of developing liver cancer.

All coffees were helpful, but ground coffee was more. This may be due to the anti-inflammatory effect of coffee. In people who already have liver disease, a chemical called paraxanthin (produced when caffeine is broken down in the liver) slows scar tissue formation in the organ.

Helen Bond states that four cups of coffee a day have surprising nutritional benefits. “This amount of medium-strength black coffee can provide up to 1150 mg of potassium, more than half the recommended daily intake, and more potassium than four small bananas.

“It will also provide 100 mg of magnesium, which is about a quarter of the recommended daily intake, and 9 mg of niacin, which is more than half the recommended daily intake.”

Instant coffee also provides these nutrients, but in smaller amounts (possibly because some nutrients are removed during processing).

five glasses

Health effect: can prevent type 2 diabetes

A study of more than one million people conducted by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that those who drank five glasses a day had a 29% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than those who did not.

Caffeic acid and chlorogenic acids are two compounds in coffee beans that can help prevent the accumulation of a protein, amyloid polypeptide, that can collect in the pancreas and destroy insulin-producing cells. The study suggested that decaffeinated coffee may have the same protective effect.

six glasses or more

Health Effect: Reduces the risk of gout

Higher coffee intake is linked to a lower chance of developing gout, which is caused by the buildup of a waste product called uric acid in the joints, according to data from the Health Physicians Follow-Up study published by Boston University.

In men, those over the age of 12 who drank six or more glasses a day were 59 percent less likely to develop gout compared to men who did not drink gout. The risk was 40 percent lower for men who drank four to five glasses a day.

Decaffeinated coffee had the strongest effect, but decaffeinated was still beneficial, leading researchers suggest that ingredients such as chlorogenic acid may lower blood uric acid levels.

Similar results were found in women by the same researchers; Four cups of coffee a day was linked to a 57 percent reduction in gout risk.