Love coffee? You’re not alone. Over 2.25 billion cups of coffee are estimated to be consumed in the world — daily.1 Besides being a popular way to start the morning, new research is unveiling coffee’s surprising health benefits.
Whether you like your coffee hot or iced, there are even more reasons to love this powerhouse beverage.
We’ll drink to that!
1. It’s part of a healthy lifestyle (and may even help you live longer!).
Whether you enjoy decaf or regular, ground or instant coffee, it may help you live longer compared to non-coffee drinkers, a new study from JAMA Internal Medicine says.2 Participants were studied over a 10-year period and drank anywhere from one to eight cups of coffee per day. The researchers found that coffee drinking was inversely associated with mortality. So, go ahead, enjoy that extra cup of coffee!
2. It might decrease your liver cancer and liver disease risk.
Your liver is an essential organ that helps to break down fat and filter blood before it circulates throughout the rest of the body. Drinking coffee brewed showed a lowered risk of chronic liver disease in high risk individuals, a study of almost 10,000 people revealed.3 Another study examined existing research from 1966-2007 and found that increasing one’s daily coffee consumption by two cups may reduce the risk of liver cancer.4
3. Coffee may benefit heart health.
If you don’t like coffee, these studies might help you have a change of heart. Scientists found a possible link between caffeine and heart health when they discovered caffeinated cells kept damaged heart cells from dying.5 However, since it was an animal study, more research is needed to understand the effect on humans.5 Japanese researchers observed a lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related deaths in coffee drinkers between the ages of 40 and 79.6 These findings may point to coffee helping to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, but more research is needed to solidify this conclusion.
4. The caffeine in coffee may boost short and long-term memory.
Feeling forgetful? One study showed participants who ingested 100 milligrams of caffeine (about two cups of coffee) showed improved short-term memory skills.7 Tests showed brain activity in the area that controls working memory, which helps you remember things for a short time. Researchers concluded caffeine may help to regulate the brain’s short-term memory functions.8 A separate study from Johns Hopkins University explored the effects of 200 milligrams of caffeine on memory. This increased dosage showed participants were less likely to forget images they’d seen the day before, suggesting caffeine helped their long-term memory over a 24-hour period.9
5. It may improve alertness and positivity.
Nothing says “teamwork” like a cup of coffee. Ohio State University released research from two studies suggesting that drinking caffeinated coffee may improve feelings of positivity among people working as a group. In the first study, half the participants drank coffee before debating a controversial topic, while the other half had coffee after the discussion. The test group who’d had coffee first reported being more alert and spoke positively about their team members’ contributions, compared to those who drank coffee later. The second study was similar, where half the participants had caffeinated coffee, while the others had decaf. Again, results showed the group who had caffeinated coffee were more alert and provided more positive reviews of their peers.10 So, the next time you’re about to head into a big meeting, consider taking a quick coffee break first!
6. Coffee could help (temporarily) kick-start your weight loss.
Some studies show the caffeine in coffee may temporarily boost your metabolic rate, or the speed of your metabolism, a few hours after consuming it.11-12 Your metabolism is the chemical process that provides energy for your body. Along with an increase in metabolic rate, one study showed increased levels of fat oxidation, or using fat as energy.13-14 So it may not be a bad idea to enjoy a regular cup of coffee along with a variety of delicious, healthy foods and regular exercise!
Wake up and smell the coffee!
If you look like this before your morning cup o’ joe, we totally get it.
Whether you’re a coffee aficionado or a casual sipper, there are so many reasons to enjoy one of the world’s most popular beverages. Aside from tasting great and providing a jolt of caffeine, new studies continue to uncover coffee’s many perks. As with all foods and beverages, it’s best to have it in moderation. And check with your healthcare provider if you experience any adverse effects while consuming caffeine.
Cheers to good health! Interested in learning more about how to lose weight the healthy way while enjoying your favorite foods–and coffee? Get in touch with a Jenny Craig consultant to set up your free appointment today!
Sources:
[1] http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.571.8956&rep=rep1&type=pdf
[2] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2686145
[3] https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(05)01774-9/abstract?referrer=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16344061
[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016508507005689
[5] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-healthy-addiction-coffee-study-finds-more-health-benefits/
[6] https://jech.bmj.com/content/65/3/230
[7] https://press.rsna.org/timssnet/media/pressreleases/pr_target.cfm?ID=270
[8] https://press.rsna.org/timssnet/media/pressreleases/pr_target.cfm?ID=270
[9] https://hub.jhu.edu/2014/01/12/caffeine-enhances-memory/ [10] https://news.osu.edu/coffee-helps-teams-work-together-study-suggests/
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7486839
[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2912010
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7369170
[14] https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/sports-fitness-recreation-and-leisure-magazines/fat-oxidation
Stephanie Eng-Aponte
Stephanie Eng-Aponte is a copywriter for Jenny Craig and has written for the health and wellness, tech, and environmental industries. Stephanie graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Media Studies. They employ an “eat first, write later” approach to food blogging and enjoy the occasional Oxford comma. Outside of writing, you can find them photographing a muttley crew of rescue pups, brewing kombucha, or exploring San Diego.
Favorite healthy snack: Green apple slices with sunflower butter
QuoteThis article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles and was written by an experienced health and lifestyle contributor and reviewed by certified professionals.
Our goal at Jenny Craig is to provide the most up-to-date and objective information on health-related topics, so our readers can make informed decisions based on factual content. All articles undergo an extensive review process, and depending on the topic, are reviewed by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Nutritionist, to ensure accuracy.
This article contains trusted sources including scientific, peer-reviewed papers. All references are hyperlinked at the end of the article to take readers directly to the source.
Edited by Stephanie E - Jenny Craig
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