How Drinking Coffee Can Give You a Long, Happy Life

NaturalNews

People joke about how drinking coffee has created a culture of caffeine junkies, people who are basically zombies without their cups of Joe. But the reality is that while some people will take anything to excess, moderate coffee consumption may actually be good for you. Very good. Research links drinking coffee to lowered risk of serious health condition, to longevity, and to better moods.

Coffee fights diseases

Studies indicate that drinking coffee correlates with lower risks of diabetes and heart diseases, two major contributors to premature death. It could also have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease or delay the onset. These benefits only seem to come from consuming coffee with caffeine though; decaf doesn’t do the trick.

Researchers from two universities in the United States discovered a link between greater levels of caffeine in the blood of people aged 65 and older with later appearances of Alzheimer’s. According to the people from the Universities of South Florida and Miami, higher levels of caffeine appeared to correlate to a delay of two to four years of the disease when compared to people who had lower blood caffeine levels.

Dr. Chuanhai Cao of the University of San Francisco said that drinking caffeinated coffee in moderation won’t necessarily prevent Alzheimer’s, but the researchers think that it could significantly decrease Alzheimer’s risk or at least delay the development.

Coffee is also a rich source of antioxidants that protect people from a variety of diseases. A 2005 study found that nothing else gives people nearly as many as antioxidants as coffee provides. For Americans, it is the number one source of antioxidants. Although there are other sources of antioxidants, such as fresh fruits and veggies, the human body is able to absorb more of these beneficial substances from coffee.

Coffee makes you happy

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that coffee boosts the mood. Just hang out in Starbucks and watch the faces of the people who come in and then see their faces change after they have their drinks. But a National Institutes of Health discovered that at least four cups of Joe per day correlates to a 10 percent lower risk of depression. The author of the study, Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, hypothesized that antioxidants are responsible.

Another study found a link between coffee and suicide risk. The Harvard School of Public Health study showed that people who consumed around two to four cups of java had only about half the risk of suicide. The suspected reason is that coffee assists the body to make neurotransmitters including dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin. These chemicals help to fight depression.

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