10 Ways Coffee Benefits Your Health

Here is a "studies have shown" listing of how everyday coffee consumption benefits your health in ten important areas.

1. Reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease

Several studies showed that moderate coffee drinkers (3-5 cups per day) were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than light coffee drinkers (0-2 cups per day).

2. Reduces chance of Dementia

A 2009 study showed that moderate coffee drinkers had a reduced risk of developing Dementia.

3. Reduces risk of Parkinson's disease

One study showed that moderate to heavy coffee drinkers were significantly less likely to contract Parkinson's disease than were non-coffee-drinkers. And a second study showed an inverse relationship between the amount of coffee regularly drunk and the likelihood of getting Parkinson's disease.

4. Reduces chance of gallstone disease

Two studies from Harvard showed that drinking caffeinated coffee has been correlated with a lower incidence, in both men and women, of gallstones and gallbladder disease.

5. Reduces risk of gout

A large study over a 12-year period of 45,000 men showed that coffee consumption decreased the risk of gout in men over the age of 40.

6. Increases cognitive performance

Studies have shown that regular coffee drinkers perform better than non-coffee-drinkers in tests of simple reaction time, choice reaction time, incidental verbal memory, and visuospatial reasoning (look it up). Furthermore, a positive relationship was found between test scores and the amount of coffee regularly drunk. Elderly participants showed the largest effects associated with regular coffee drinking.

7. Enhances effects of pain killers

Ever wonder why so many over-the-counter headache drugs contain caffeine in their formula? Caffeine increases the effectiveness of pain killers, especially medications for migraines and headaches.

8. Reduces chance of type 2 diabetes

A study showed that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 by up to half. The more coffee consumed, the less chance of one getting type 2 diabetes was found.

9. Contains important antioxidant

Coffee contains methylpyridinium, an anticancer compound not present in significant amounts in other foods. And espresso contains even more, because of the unique extraction method associated with how it's made.

10. Reduces risk of certain cancers

Various studies have shown that coffee consumption has been correlated to a reduced risk of oral, esophageal, pharyngeal, liver, and prostate cancer.

Care must be taken when thinking about how coffee may benefit your health. Consuming it does have some risks, which I'll discuss in another article.