If you’re a bit slow or sluggish in the morning, you probably need a quick boost to get your day going. Drinking a cup of coffee as part of your morning routine is one of the best ways to get a jumpstart on the day.
Below are 8 of the best perks of kickstarting your morning with a cup of coffee.
#1 – Get your daily dose of antioxidants
Coffee contains more antioxidants than most other morning drinks, like tea and cocoa.
If you aren’t familiar, antioxidants help ward off the inflammation that can lead to many common issues like arthritis, atherosclerosis and many forms of cancer.
Antioxidants also help neutralize free radicals that naturally occur as part of your body’s everyday metabolic functions. These free radicals lead to stress and chronic disease.
A cup of coffee in the morning can help your body fight off these free radicals on a micro-level and help protect your cells from their damage. And, if you are a tad too lazy to take the pains of making yourself a cup of it, just click here to see some cheaper models of coffee machines and let it do the job for you.
#2 – Boost your short-term memory
In a recent study, a group of volunteers received a 100-milligram dose of caffeine, such as Vivarin. It’s about the same amount that you’ll have in an average cup of coffee.
Each volunteer was then asked to perform a variety of tasks while having their brain activity measured with an MRI. The researchers found that volunteers who received caffeine had stronger reaction times and a stronger short-term memory.
The study proved that caffeine appears to positively affect parts of your brain that are responsible for memory and concentration, providing short-term boosts.
#3 – Prevent cognitive decline
On top of providing a near-instant boost to your short-term memory, a cup of this magic drink each morning can also help prevent cognitive decline that’s most commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease and onset of dementia.
Caffeine helps prevent the buildup of plaque that contributes to the onset of Alzheimer’s. Researchers have also theorized that the increased brain function associated with caffeine can help neuroreceptors continue firing.
#4 – Keep your heart healthy
In a study performed by Dutch researchers, more than 37,000 coffee drinkers were analyzed over a period of 13 years.
The study found that more moderate coffee drinkers (two to four cups per day) had a 20% lower risk of developing heart disease compared to heavy and light coffee drinkers, or nondrinkers.
The study also found that it helps support your heart health by limiting and protecting against arterial damage normally associated with inflammation. Nondrinkers, heavy and light coffee drinkers were all at a higher risk for developing these plaque build ups.
#5 – Curb certain cancers
For men, drinking a cup of coffee each morning also helps lower their risk of developing more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
In a study performed by the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers found that the risk of endometrial cancer in women decreased by as much as 25% when compared to women who drink less than one cup of this great drink a day.
The polyphenols in coffee, an antioxidant, was shown to have anticarcinogenic properties through several studies. This helps fight off the inflammation that could be responsible for people developing some forms of tumors.
#6 – Lessen your risk of diabetes
Researchers have also found that drinking a cup of it each morning can help lower your risk of developing diabetes.
It will help your body utilize insulin while protecting the cells that produce insulin, aiding in your regulation of blood sugar levels. It is natural antioxidants also help prevent tissue damage and battle inflammation — a known cause of type 2 diabetes.
Caffeine acid has shown to significantly reduce the toxins that accumulate in people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. In general, decaffeinated coffee has more caffeine than caffeinated, showing it can help even more.
#7 – Enhance your morning workout
On top of natural health benefits, a morning cup of coffee can also help boost your morning workout routine. The added boost in energy levels can get you over the morning “slump” so many people feel leading up to their workout.
Consuming caffeine will immediately boost your energy and mood, fight off fatigue, and strengthen your body’s ability to contract your muscles as you’re working out. It also helps reduce your perception of pain, so you’re able to push through your morning workout a lot easier.
#8 – Coffee helps keep depression at bay
While researchers haven’t exactly pinpointed why drinkers of it show up to a 20% lower risk of developing depression, multiple studies have shown that coffee drinkers do, in fact, have lower rates of being diagnosed with the illness.
The primary understanding is that caffeine helps activate the neurotransmitters in your brain that control and stabilize your mood. Dopamine and serotonin are the two main chemicals related to feeling good, and it helps deliver them in significant amounts.
If you weren’t already convinced that drinking a cup of coffee each morning was good for your health, these 8 “perks” should help perk up your morning.