9 Surprising Benefits of Drinking Coffee

Do you love your coffee?

As someone who loves his coffee I was pleased to read that there are some amazing benefits (backed by scientific studies) of drinking coffee in the Huff Post.

Apparently while having lots of it isn’t recommended for everyone, for some of us, it may just be the superfood of the century.

Here are nine reasons to start your day with this a shot of caffeine.

1. It may lower your risk of death

We’re all going to die eventually, but coffee appears to lengthen the “when” for individuals with certain chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, according to a large 2012 study.

In fact, the study found that the more coffee (three or more cups a day), the lower the risk of death regardless of whether participants drank caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee.

Findings were similar to another large study published in 2008.

2. It helps make your reproductive systems happy

A 2011 study found that men consuming at least six or more cups a day reduced their risk of prostate cancer by 20 percent!

Another study published in the Journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention found that women who drank more than four cups of coffee a day had a 25 percent lower risk of endometrial cancer.

3. It can help lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes

A 2012 study found that a compound in coffee actually helped to block a substance in the body called human islet amyloid polypeptide that may play a role in the development of diabetes.

4. It helps protect your brain

Coffee drinkers are more likely to resist development of dementia and Alzheimer’s later in life according to a 2009 study .

Another study done on rats found that just the smell of coffee helped to reduce stress that was associated with loss of sleep.

5. It could help you recover after colon surgery.

If you’ve ever had surgery, you know one big sign of recovery is the return of bowel function.

One study found that coffee consumption helped to speed this recovery sign when compared to water drinkers.

6. It’s great for your skin

A study in the journal Cancer Research that looked specifically at the caffeine in coffee demonstrated that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of developing basal cell carcinoma.

7. It may help to reduce your risk of oral cancer

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Although studies on coffee consumption and decreased risk of cancer are limited, a recent large study found that individuals who drank four or more cups of coffee a day had a 50 percent lower risk of death from oral cancers in a 25-year time frame.

8. It may help you strengthen your muscles — and your DNA

A study in the journal Cell Metabolism found that caffeine actually had a similar effect to our DNA molecules in our muscles as exercise (now, this does not mean you can stop exercising).

The study looked specifically at DNA changes of muscles in sedentary individuals and found that positive effects from coffee were similar to effects derived from exercise.

The most interesting factor in the study was the fact that these positive changes were seen rather quickly.

Obviously drinking coffee isn’t for everyone, some people must limit their caffeine intake, including pregnant females, children and those suffering from insomnia and depression.

But as for me… I’m heading to the Nespresso machine for my next fix.

Originally published at Property Update.