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Coffee is a wonderful drink loved by many, but it usually has a bad name. Thanks to its caffeine content that gives consumers a boost of energy, some abuse it to balance out a lack of sleep or an unhealthy habit of charging at certain projects without rest.
However, the Annual Review of Nutrition did a meta-analysis of 127 different studies on the effects of coffee on human health, and they found that it’s actually super good for you!
Some of the benefits of drinking coffee include:
#1 You have a decreased risk of getting common cancer
Coffee drinkers see a 2% to 20% reduction in risk depending on the cancer type. Some of these common cancers include breast, colorectal, colon, endometrial and prostate. Coffee contains natural antioxidants which help reduce free radicals that damage your cells.
It also repairs DNA so your cells are less likely to turn cancerous.
#2 You have a lowered chance of getting other major diseases
About 3.9 million Malaysians suffer from diabetes and in 2017 alone, 54% of deaths occurred that year were caused by cardiovascular diseases. It was found that coffee reduces 30% risk in Type 2 diabetes and 5% in heart diseases.
Consuming coffee aids in the efficiency of enzymes that regulate insulin and glucose metabolism.
#3 “People who drink coffee tend to die earlier” is just a myth
In a 10-year research done at the UK Biobank, people who drink coffee were found to have 10% to 15% lower mortality rate than non-coffee drinkers.
#4 Breathe better with caffeine in your bloodstream
Caffeine makes your brain sensitive to the levels of carbon dioxide in your blood, so it’ll help increase the depth of your breathing. This is to increase the levels of blood oxygen, so people who have breathing difficulties can afford to consume some coffee too.
#5 Lose some weight with coffee
Researchers from the University of Illinois found that caffeine slows weight gain by reducing the storage of lipids in your fat cells by 20% to 40%. This also explains the lowered risk in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
So, how much coffee should you actually drink?
Of course, all this sounds amazing but that doesn’t mean you ought to chug down endless mugs of kopi immediately. Experts suggest that you consume about 3 to 6 glasses of coffee per day, though you shouldn’t force yourself to drink more if your body isn’t accustomed to caffeine.
Of course, this measurement also includes a healthy amount of sugar or no added sweetness at all. So, either opt for Kopi O or remember to tell the waiter kurang manis the next time you make your order.
