Your browser is not supported. We do our best to optimize our websites to the most current web browsers. Please try another browser.
ADVERTISEMENT

Caffeine Has Many Health Benefits, and Science Backs it Up

a young woman sips from a mug in a cafe
Pixabay

Coffee aficionados, rejoice! Despite what you may have heard over the years as you’d make your daily jaunt to Starbucks, there’s actually plenty of research out there touting caffeine’s health benefits. (That’s right, you don’t have to feel so guilty about indulging in multiple steaming hot cups of Joe.) It’s no secret that Canadians love their coffee, but there’s a handful of reasons as to why our favourite drink isn’t so terrible after all.

Related: The science behind why caffeine may be the secret to really good hair.

The most recent study on the subject, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, claims that the consumption of caffeine can be linked to a reduced risk of various health conditions, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, depression and suicide. Although it’s not saying coffee prevents these conditions, it is encouraging to read that taking a sweet sip of coffee can help reduce some common health risks, especially as we get older.

See also: Cup-free caffeine boosts: 10 unique ways to cook with coffee.

As most coffee lovers can attest, there’s often a lot of negative press out there when it comes to caffeine. So it’s refreshing, you could say, that for most healthy individuals, there’s plenty of pros for enjoying it hot or cold.

Various studies conducted across the globe state that consuming 400 mg of caffeine a day has been associated with reduced death rates overall. In one extensive study involving 200,000 participants over a 30-year span, it was discovered that those who drank three to five cups of coffee a day were 15 per cent less likely to die from various causes and ailments at a young age. This harkens back to a 2013 Harvard Public School of Health study that said the risk of suicide in both men and women decreased by 50 per cent if they were moderate coffee drinkers.

While all of this information still comes with caveats (it’s still generally a no-no for pregnancy, unless advised otherwise by your doctor, and can disturb sleep patterns for anyone if consumed in large amounts), it’s nevertheless a win for Team Caffeine.

ADVERTISEMENT

See also: We debunk the most common pregnancy myths.

So, whether you’re looking for an energy-boosting pick-me-up or simply want to unwind with a piping hot mug, relish every sip of that sweet, sweet elixir.



Latest News

ADVERTISEMENT
This content is restricted to adults of legal age.
Please enter your birthdate to confirm.
Date of Birth