10 Things Coffee Does To Your Body

We all love to wake up with a nice steaming cup of coffee to get us started. In fact, this writer is happily sipping one right now.

But did you ever stop to think just what that morning coffee is actually doing to your body? Well, we’re here with the answers, and you’ll be surprised just how much that little cup is positively changing your body.

1. Improves Energy And Brain Function

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If you always feel a little bit more on your game after a cup of coffee, there’s more at work than you first thought. Thanks to the caffeine present in coffee, every cup you drink gives you an energy boost. But as well as bettering your energy levels, it also improves vigilance, reaction times and general cognitive function. That’s right, your morning coffee makes you a smarter and more effective thinker, as well as giving you the mental energy to get your day started. Bonus!

2. Burns Fat

There isn’t too much better than that little jolt of energy you get after consuming your first cup of piping hot brew with the rising sun. It turns out that little jolt isn’t just waking you up, it’s kick starting your metabolism. A 2013 study found that having some coffee before physical activity pushes your body into fat-burning mode, instead of energy burning. So if you’re a workout person, get a coffee before you start, and focus on fat-burning in the first part of your workout to get the most out of it.

3. Boosts Antioxidants

Most people don’t know this, but coffee is packed full of antioxidants. Antioxidants have a hand in everything from skincare to cancer defence, and your morning brew means that you’re getting a full dose. If you’re wondering about the benefit of this, consider having a read up of this study from the University of Scranton that suggests a morning cuppa can help fortify you against cancer, Alzheimer’s and even heart disease.

4. Improves Effect of Pain Killers

You’ve probably already seen painkillers on the shelf with ‘added caffeine’. The good news is, if you’ve got a headache, you don’t have to go out and spend more on these newfangled painkillers. Instead, just wash down the ones you have with a cup of coffee. A study into the phenomenon showed that there was a significant statistics benefit to the effectiveness of painkillers when they were taken with 100 milligrams of caffeine. This is around the same amount in a mug of coffee, so slurp away!

5. Boosts Mood

We already know that coffee gives your body a pick-me-up, but did you know it can also give your mood a boost? A study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that drinking a cup of coffee has similar effects to an antidepressant and can radically reduce suicidal tendencies. The study suggested that between two and four cups a day was ideal to get the benefits.

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6. Lowers Risk Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes

The experts still aren’t 100% sure why, but for some reason, people who drink coffee have a significantly reduced rate of developing type 2 diabetes. This particular kind of diabetes is becoming a massive health epidemic, affecting around 300 million people, so it’s always good to know your risk is lower. Studies have shown that people who drink the most coffee have a 23-50% lower risk of developing diabetes, with one study showing a reduction of as high as 67%.

7. Acts As A Laxative

The jury is out on whether coffee being a laxative is a good thing or a bad thing. We think it’s probably a little of both. Obviously, the last thing you want to do just a few minutes after sipping your coffee in a crowded cafe is rush to the loo. But if you’ve got problems staying regular, coffee is a useful helper. Interestingly, the laxative effect of coffee has been shown to pop up in some people just four minutes after their first sip. Wow!

8. Reduces Post Gym Muscle Pain

If you’re a lover of workouts, whether they’re at the gym, at crossfit, or out in the world, there’s a certain feeling of accomplishment gained from feeling sore after your effort. But, if that aching messes with your next workout, it has to go. Luckily, coffee is the answer. A study in 2013 found that individuals who drank a cup of coffee before exercising experienced significantly less muscle soreness after their workout.

9. Lowers Risk Of Certain Cancers

Cancer happens to be one of the leading causes of death around the world, a disease that in all forms is characterised by uncontrolled cell growth in the body. It turns out that for both liver cancer and colorectal cancer, drinking coffee is the answer. Studies have shown that coffee has a protective effect against those two cancers with regular coffee drinkers being 40% less likely to develop liver cancer and 15% less likely to develop colorectal cancer.

10. Improves Memory

Life is busy, and mums are the most likely to forget things when there’s a thousand things to do all at the same time. But once again, coffee is the answer. It turns out that a 2014 study uncovered caffeine’s ability to improve the brain’s ability to create long term memories. The effect of your morning brew lasts as much as 24 hours for every 200 milligrams of coffee, or single strong cup. That means, if you’re drinking a coffee right now, you’ll probably remember all of this!

What do you think?

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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