99 Benefits Of Coffee – Part 8 of 11

The inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee can awaken our senses, and give our dull mornings a fresh start. Conversations over coffee are the best. Some alone-time with our favorite books and/or music can soothe our soul.

But did you know that there is more to coffee than that?

Here come 9 more benefits of coffee that might help you understand coffee more deeply.

1. Coffee can reduce your risk of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that slowly develops over the years, causing tremors, slow movements, speech problems, and other health issues.

Many experimental and epidemiological researches and has focused on many lifestyle, dietary and environmental risk factors, including coffee consumption.

Most of the meta-analyses and reviews that have been undertaken until now and together they support the view that coffee consumption is linked with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s Disease.

A latest dose, response meta-analysis in 2014 showed a linear relationship between risk reduction of PD with tea and caffeine consumption, with maximum of approximately 3 cups of coffee a day.

2. Coffee can help you get rid of wrinkles

Thanks to the antioxidants in the coffee, the coffee grounds can provide soothing effects on the skin when applied topically.

Applying coffee directly to your skin may help decrease the appearance of sun spots, redness, and fine lines. One study found a direct correlation between drinking coffee and a decrease in photo-aging effects.

This benefit of coffee beans made many cosmetic brands to use coffee as part of their skin-care products.

However, you can achieve the same, and maybe even better, effect by applying coffee face masks that you can easily make at home.

Here’s one recipe to try:

3. Coffee can make your hair shiny

Did you know that coffee can do wonders to your hair?

I can’t remember if I’ve read these somwhere, but that’s how I’m using the coffee for my hair.

Wash your hair with black coffee

1. Add instant coffee powder in a litre of warm water

2. Shampoo and condition your hair,

3. Rinse your hair using the black coffee.

This treatment will leave your hair with a natural tint of brown, and ample of shine.

Massage your scalp with ground coffee

Wash your hair with water and towel dry. Now use cooled ground coffee to massage your hair. This will help exfoliate your scalp and promote hair growth. Also, the oil content in the coffee will leave your hair moisturized without any greasiness.

4. Coffee can reduce chronic inflammation

According to Stanford University School of Medicine caffeine may be able to tamp down the inflammation that worsens with age. It’s a correlational study, but it’s one that dives into how caffeine could be affecting the immune system.

The researchers still haven’t fully explained how caffeine is interfering with inflammation, but it’s comforting news for those who already feel the need for a second hit of caffeine anyway.

5. Coffee can help you burn more calories

Scientists from the University of Nottingham in the UK have found that drinking a cup of coffee may help you burn more calories. 

The study found that coffee can stimulate ‘brown fat’ in the body, which burns calories in order to generate body heat.

Although the research is still in early stages and small-scale trial, researchers have found that coffee can stimulate the brown fat, to encourage the body to burn more calories.

6. Coffee could help you solve problems

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, which makes you feel more focused, energized, alert, and awake, according to MedlinePlus. 

Researchers from the University of Arkansas found that while consuming caffeine “significantly enhanced” problem-solving abilities, meaning they solved problems faster and more accurately, it has no effect on people’s ability to think up new ideas.

It’s possible that 200 mg is not enough caffeine to impact people’s ability to generate ideas, the study authors wrote. Most people can safely consume 400 mg of caffeine a day, equivalent to about two strong cups of coffee. An excess of caffeine can cause shakiness, headaches, anxiety, sleep problems, dehydration, and a rapid heartbeat.

7. Coffee can boost your short-term memory

According to a study, caffeine showed a positive effect on short-term memory and reaction times.

Caffeine can also help stimulate faster information processing through enhanced brain entropy. This indicates that in the long run, caffeine actually might improve cognitive performance and memory. Some studies have shown that coffee may best improve memory if consumed while taking in the information and later while recalling it. But other studies, in contrast, indicated that caffeine might worsen a person’s ability to freely recall events.

8. Coffee cuts mouth and throat cancer risk by 50%

Heavy coffee drinkers – those who drink more than four cups a day – may cut their risk of dying from cancers of the mouth and throat by nearly half, according to new research.

The results show an inverse association between high coffee consumption and the risk of oral and pharyngeal cancers, which indicates that coffee may have a protective role against these cancers.

However, the researchers say their findings need to be confirmed by more research, and for now, should just be received as good news for coffee drinkers and not be used as a reason to recommend everyone should drink 4 cups of coffee a day.

9. Coffee could help your physical performance

Research suggests that caffeine may help to improve physical performance during both endurance and high-intensity exercise. Studies have shown that in longer exercises (i.e. aerobic exercise in sports lasting more than five minutes, such as running, cycling and rowing), caffeine improves time-trial performance and can be associated with a reduction in muscle pain. Research also suggests that caffeine can help during short-term, high-intensity exercises.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that there is an association between caffeine consumption and an increase in endurance performance and endurance capacity.

Although much of the research has been undertaken in trained athletes, studies in sedentary people and those with lower levels of fitness also suggest that caffeine can improve performance in those who are not trained athletes.

Final thoughts from me

As I have previously stated, conscious and responsible consuming of coffee is the best thing you can do for your body and your health.

Many of the benefits of the coffee here are still being researched and not final.

However, is good to know that coffee is not considered as bad as before and that there are actual benefits of consuming it or using it topically.

Do you drink coffee because of some of its benefits or just for fun or taste?

Share your thoughts with me, I love to hear from you.

Until the next time,

Enjoy your coffee!