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9 Caffeine Health Benefits (Science-Backed Facts)

woman with a cup of coffee in the table

Caffeine comes in different levels depending on the kind of drink you like. For example, the iced coffee versus the espresso shot has very different amounts of caffeine. Although too much caffeine can give you the jitters, make you a little sweaty, and then bring you down to the depths of a caffeine crash, surprisingly there are a few health benefits that caffeine has to offer. Keep reading to learn what they are.

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Top 9 Caffeine Health Benefits

1. Decreases Fatigue

The first benefit of caffeine is an obvious one for most people. Why do we gravitate towards coffee when it’s way too early for anything else? Well, the caffeine intake gives you a jolt of energy. This boost is beneficial in so many different situations, it is no surprise that your local coffee shop is booming with business daily.

Scientifically, caffeine acts as a stimulant that works on the nervous system. This works to decrease fatigue which in simple terms makes you feel more awake.


2. Increases Mental Alertness

a young woman drinking coffee
Image Credit: MART PRODUCTION, Pexels

Along with caffeine acting as a benefit in terms of making you feel less sleepy, it is paired with an increased feeling of mental alertness. People have been known to love coffee beverages before a workout, a game of basketball, or before a test.

Caffeine keeps you focused and with a boost to your mental function, it can be a direct result of being able to perform certain tasks better! This is a benefit that everyone can agree with.


3. Promotes Weight Management

Another great benefit of caffeine intake is a nice addition to those pesky diets. Nobody enjoys being forced to exercise and diet, but did you know your morning coffees are helping you too?

Caffeine does one of two things; it works in weight management to suppress your appetite and it actively burns calories. Sounds too good to be true! But it is! Caffeine does its magic in your body by temporarily making you less hungry while burning calories.


4. Enhances Athletic Performance

young woman having coffee after workout
Image Credit: bruce mars, Unsplash

It’s been reported that caffeine gives people a great boost of energy before athletic performances. This could be anything from playing sports, exercising, or going for a long walk. Taking an espresso shot or having a morning coffee before your day is connected to better performance.

Caffeine is in energy drinks and pre-workout formulas too. People drink these for a quick, strong burst of energy. They are usually in carbonated beverages or powder forms mixed with water.


5. Increases Reaction Time

A stimulant such as caffeine also works to increase your reaction time. This means that your alertness also makes you much more aware of your surroundings. Think of a baseball heading towards your face – that extra boost from the Red Bull you just had could stop a nasty bruise!

Stimulants are great for increasing the buzz of the nerves in your body. It acts as a wake-up call to the nervous system making it easier to avoid danger.


6. Contains Antioxidants

farmer harvesting coffee berries
Image Credit: HunterProducciones, Pixabay

Funnily enough, caffeine is an antioxidant. The acids and other scientific components in caffeine act to flush out your system. Ever chug your morning coffee because you’re late and then you really have to pee? The coffee is moving through your body like a diuretic.

If you’re feeling fancy that day, reach for the organic coffee brand off the shelf. Organic coffee can hold even more antioxidant and diuretic properties, increasing your ‘flushing out’ experiences.


7. Promotes Healthy Liver Function

Coffee lowers the chances of liver issues. Studies have shown that people who already have liver disease and drink coffee regularly are less likely to experience scarring and further damage.

Surprisingly, drinking coffee daily can reduce the risk of death from liver disease. The numbers are up to 15% decrease with one cup of coffee, whereas this shoots up to 71% with four cups of coffee a day. This is a result of coffee filtering through the liver.


8. Reduces Chances of Developing Type 2 Diabetes

pouring brewed coffee on a cup
Image Credit: minhthai0105, Pixabay

Drinking coffee can even reduce the chances of getting type 2 diabetes by producing sugar/glucose. Caffeine works to support the pancreas by regulating blood sugar levels. It’s said to decrease the chances of diabetes later in life.

Not only is it helping your pancreas, but as mentioned, its antioxidant properties also boost the function of insulin in your body. The pairing of sugar balancing and antioxidant-producing properties makes drinking coffee a healthy option!


9. Lowers Risk of Heart Disease

Caffeine is said to make your heart healthy. And no, we aren’t referring to giving you heart-racing feelings after you’ve downed two in a row. The ingredients in caffeine support heart health, which reduces the chances of stroke and heart disease.

Can you imagine drinking coffee daily can make your heart function better? The scary fact is that heart disease is pretty common and can happen to anyone! Of course, make sure the other aspects of your life are healthy choices too.

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Drink Coffee and Live Longer!

Whether you like it black as night, half-filled with milk, or to the brim with sugar, coffee is a diverse and universally loved beverage!

Who would’ve thought drinking caffeine every day had all these health benefits? From giving you extra energy, increasing brain function, and giving you better-functioning organs, why doesn’t everybody drink coffee?

The delicious beverage can be enjoyed every day and evidently gives you some health benefits, but remember that too much of a good thing can be bad! Keep going for that second and third cup but don’t forget to keep the rest of your body in check too.


Featured Image Credit: engin akyurt, Unsplash

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Kate MacDonnell

Kate is a lifelong coffee enthusiast and homebrewer who enjoys writing for coffee websites and sampling every kind of coffee known to man. She’s tried unusual coffees from all over the world and owns an unhealthy amount of coffee gear.

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