Coffee is one of the oldest—and most beloved—beverages on the planet. Its health benefits go beyond a quick jolt of morning energy. In fact, drinking coffee may be one of the best ways to protect your health as you age.
Here are five surprising reasons you should drink coffee every day:
- Preserves Hearing
Women who drink coffee each day lower their chance of developing tinnitus by at least 15%, according to a study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Tinnitus is buzzing or ringing in the ears. It’s a common sign of age-related hearing loss. Or it could point to ear injury. Researchers believe the antioxidants in coffee are responsible for this protective effect.1
- Stops Diabetes
A decade-long Greek study revealed habitual coffee drinkers are 54% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.2 Coffee reduces the amount of amyloid A proteins in your blood. The lower your number, the lower your diabetes risk.3 The anti-inflammatory effect of coffee keeps these proteins in check. But no surprise… That benefit goes away when you add creamer and artificial sweeteners.
- Keeps Your Mind Sharp
Coffee drinkers are 30% less likely to experience cognitive decline at 65, according to a study by the American Academy of Neurology. And the effect gets stronger with age. They reported coffee drinkers over 80 have a 70% lower chance of developing poor memory.4
It takes 200 mg of caffeine to enhance your memory and cognitive recognition. That’s the amount of caffeine in about two cups of coffee. In particular, it increases your ability to recall fine details.5 So instead of just remembering that a friend showed you a photograph the other day, coffee helps you recall specific details about it.
Studies in mice show the caffeine in five cups of coffee may also decrease amyloid beta levels. These proteins play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.6 So over time, your morning cup may help lower your odds of facing Alzheimer’s later in life.
- Fights Off Cancer
A few cups of coffee each day lowers your risk for certain cancers. German and Swedish studies confirm post-menopausal women who drink five cups a day cut their risk of hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer 33-57%. This type of breast cancer is particularly aggressive.7
Coffee has other anti-cancer benefits. Yale researchers discovered people who drink four or more cups a day are 20% less likely to develop melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. But there was one important catch. Decaf drinkers did not see any benefit.8
This is likely because it does not offer the same circulation-boosting effect as caffeinated coffee. So even though you get antioxidants from decaf coffee, they don’t make it to parts of your body that need them most.
- Protects Your Liver
Two cups of coffee each morning can shield your liver from serious damage. A study out of Singapore followed 63,725 people aged 45-75 for 15 years. It found people drinking this amount of coffee are 66% less likely to die from cirrhosis of the liver.9 Another study revealed each daily cup of coffee you drink lowers your risk by 20%.10
Why? Coffee blocks enzymes that promote liver inflammation.11 Plus, the caffeine in coffee breaks down into paraxanthine. It slows the growth and spread of tissue found in liver cirrhosis and cancer.12
Coffee quality is key to its health benefits. Buy organic whenever you can. Darker roasts have a higher concentration of antioxidants. And of course, skip the artificial sweeteners and creamers.
How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? Leave us a comment and let us know.
In Good Health,
Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch
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References:
1http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/16506/20140808/study-ties-intake-of-coffee-to-lower-incidence-of-tinnitus.htm
2http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v69/n11/full/ejcn201598a.html
3http://atvb.ahajournals.org/content/31/6/1326.full
4http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070806164552.htm
5http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270963.php
6http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19581722
7http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/20110513
8http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/107/2/dju421.abstract
9http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hep.27054/abstract
10http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=410422
11http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-is-it-about-coffee
12http://coffeeandhealth.org/2013/01/coffee-consumption-and-liver-function/