To Your Health: The Latest On Downing That Cup Of Coffee

Finding it difficult to give up your daily coffee? Can't seem to talk yourself out of getting a new coffee or cappuccino machine? There's good news on the health front that indicates you may not have to. While scientists have yet to agree whether or not caffeine has any benefits, they do agree that some ingredients in your coffee have potentially positive properties that can make your daily coffee worth drinking.
Here are some of the claims and studies that have been conducted around coffee.

Contains Vitamins
According to an article on Authority Nutrition, one of the biggest benefits of coffee is the vitamins it contains. Besides the all-important B vitamins (B2, B3 and B5), coffee also contains manganese, Magnesium and Potassium.

Benefits for your Brain
Coffee studies have indicated it provides protection against the onset of dementia and Parkinson's disease. It is believed that the areas of the brain responsible for these disorders can form a type of protective response against these from high caffeine consumption. 

Heart Benefits
While a half dozen cups of coffee each day may be too much for your heart because of the increased heart rate, a study done at Harvard suggests that two cups of coffee a day may reduce risks of heart attack. This coincides with The American Heart Association 2013 study that shows coffee increases the efficiency of blood flow in your body. Two studies indicate that coffee drinkers experienced a 20 percent reduction in the rate of strokes.

Lowers Cancer Risk
Indications show that uterine, prostate and even liver cancer rates are reduced in those who regularly drink coffee.  The New England Journal of Medicine published a study that indicates that coffee drinkers are apt to live longer than those who do not consume it. Again, this was based on a moderate amount of coffee each day rather than an excessive amount.

Lowers Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Jama Internal Medicine has published an article that combined the results of 18 different studies. The combination study found that an average of seven percent reduction rate of developing Type 2 diabetes is indicated in regular coffee drinkers. While they did not find any indication that drinking coffee can aid those who already have this, for those who want to avoid getting this type of diabetes, ingredients in coffee may help.

Elevated Mood
Coffee seems to boost the effectiveness of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, known for helping elevate positive moods. One study saw a 53 percent decrease in the suicide rate of coffee drinkers who drank at least four cups of coffee each week. The positive effects of coffee in this instance are more likely to be felt by those who confine their coffee consumption to early in the day. Later cups can interfere with your sleep and lack of a good night's sleep can lower your mood.

Improves Physical Performance
Coffee has a two-fold effect on the physical front. It increases the production of epinephrine, which is the neurotransmitter responsible for preparing the body to fight or flee. In addition, it sends signals to your body's fat cells telling them to break down and become energy. The combined effect of this is an increased productiveness of your physical activity.

Boosts Metabolic Rate
Caffeine has been part of fat-burning supplements for many years. It has been determined that it can increase your metabolic rate anywhere between three and 11 percent, causing you to enjoy benefits such as increased energy and higher fat-burning rates than those who do not drink coffee. Fat-burning rate among coffee consumers is anywhere between 10 and 29 percent over their non-consuming counterparts.

Antioxidants
Most people in the United States don't eat enough fruits and vegetables to get full benefit of the antioxidants they contain. Coffee, however, contains a large amount of these same antioxidants and can help coffee drinkers get the required amount to see beneficial results. For some, this may be their biggest source of antioxidants.