Coffee And Health
Many of us in industrialized, modern societies rely on the naturally occurring caffeine in coffee to help us get through the day. Some consider themselves fully functional and awake once they've had their morning cup of joe.
If you're one of these coffee friends (like we are), you might appreciate hearing that coffee contains several health benefits.
We recommend a healthy relationship to coffee—keep it moderate and cycle it regularly (go whole days, and sometimes full weeks without consuming any coffee or caffeine).
Let's look at a few health benefits of drinking coffee. Coffee fights free radicals.
Free radicals form in our bodies due to our exposure to pollution and other harmful elements. Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals in our bodies.
Coffee is one of the most concentrated antioxidant sources in modern humans' diets.
In particular, two essential antioxidants can be found in coffee; chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid. Cocoa and tea are abundant sources of antioxidants, but cup-for-cup coffee contains more antioxidants than both. (Research)
Coffee can prevent cardiovascular disease. Coffee contains the antioxidants cafestol and kahweol, which may help balance the cholesterol in your body.
Coffee intake is associated with lower risks of heart failure and stroke as it allows the release of fatty acids from fatty tissue. Coffee improves alertness and brain performance. This should be no surprise, considering coffee stimulates the central nervous system.
Your brain contains an adenosine chemical, which aims to signal the brain when you are tired. Caffeine in coffee can suppress the actions of adenosine, temporarily increasing your alertness and holding back your body's natural tendency to want to rest itself after strenuous physical or mental efforts.
Studies also found that the antioxidants in coffee may protect against Parkinson's disease, prevent dementia, and be helpful as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Coffee improves physical performance.
It was initially thought that caffeine in coffee helped improve how oxygen is absorbed into the athlete's body, but that may be different.
Instead, drinking coffee can temporarily heighten blood sugar, which can be helpful for prolonged physical activity as the extra sugar in the blood can be utilized by the athlete's body as a fuel source. (Research)
Coffee protects your liver.
Studies show that coffee drinkers have lower chances of abnormal liver function.
One study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine revealed that individuals who drank up to four cups of coffee daily were found to have reduced alcoholic liver syndrome by 20 percent.
According to the British Liver Trust, in a report published in June 2016, drinking coffee lowers the risk of liver conditions like fibrosis (scar tissue that builds up in the liver) and cirrhosis. Regular consumption of moderate amounts of coffee may also prevent liver inflammation.
Of course, coffee's benefits will only come if you buy high-quality, moldy coffee beans from factory farms. Opt for small-batch, fresh-roasted organic, and fair-trade coffee beans… opt for Wild Coffee.
Colin Stuckert
Founder/CEO, Wild Foods