Health benefits of caffeine
Some people just can’t start the day without some caffeine in their system. Did you know that around four out of every five people in the world, or 80% of the population, consumes at least one caffeinated product daily?
Whether it’s by way of a cup of coffee, some tea, an energy drink, or other less conventional means, caffeine definitely gets one’s juices flowing for whatever task is at hand. Apart from waking you up, though, caffeine also has a bunch of other health benefits to offer.
Improves brain function
Caffeine is a natural stimulant, and as such, helps us feel awake and less tired. As soon as we drink it, it begins inhibiting the effects of the adenosine receptors in the brain, blocking their sleep promoting effects and making us feel wider awake.
As a result, brain function can improve, leading to heightened overall alertness. The effects of caffeine intake have also been shown by studies to boost reaction times and improve short-term memory
Helps foster positive moods
Studies also indicate that daily caffeine intake can enhance mood, leading to higher feelings of wellbeing, reducing the risk of depression and lowering rates of suicide.
While a cup of coffee first thing in the morning certainly improves cognitive performance and mood, it doesn’t mean that drinking a 2nd cup straight away will bring further improvement. Studies have shown that it is far better to wait several hours between cups, as this has a much better effect.
Helps enhance the effects of exercise
Caffeine enables the body to burn fat more efficiently by allowing the muscles to retain the glucose stored in them for longer. This has a great benefit when it comes to working out. It means that one can actually exercise more efficiently as the muscles can work for longer before they tire and eventually become exhausted. The result is that the body taps and burns more of our fat as fuel while exercising.
In addition, some studies have also found that caffeine helps our bodies get used to fatigue by increasing our tolerance to tiredness, enabling us to be efficient for longer periods.
Increases metabolic rate and weight control
The effect on the central nervous system, is that the metabolic rate is substantially increased after caffeine intake. This is also accompanied by a significant increase in fat oxidation, so that fat reserves are burnt up. The result is that regular daily consumption of caffeine as part of a healthy diet combined with sufficient exercise could provide good benefits for weight control.
May help prevent heart disease
While some people have reported that caffeine causes them to experience palpitations, this was only after excessive intake. Many studies have found that caffeine not only doesn’t increase our risk of having heart disease, but that 1 to 4 cups of coffee each day in fact lead to a lower risk of heart disease.
Just don’t overdo it!
The conclusion is clear. Regular caffeine consumption does more than just jolt you awake! It also brings with it a variety of great health benefits. Just make sure you’re not overdoing it and you should be perfectly fine with your daily intake.