6 health benefits of coffee that coffee-drinkers should show to others

Have you ever been chided by someone for drinking too much coffee? If so, this is the article for you. Firstly, you’ll have to find an excuse for the high-calorie sugar and milk that comes with your coffee. Then, after that, tell him the benefits of caffeine. Yeah, you’ve read it right: the benefits of caffeine, that C-word that keeps us awake. Or so we believe.

1. It makes you sharper and somewhat smarter
To simplify the explanation without having to delve into a biology lesson, let’s just say that the effects of caffeine that makes you awake also have the effects of making you think more and improves your brain functions. So essentially, you become smarter (since “smart” is such a subjective word!)

2. It makes you lose weight
Like, seriously. No joke. Okay, the sugar and condensed milk might pack empty calories, but the caffeine will boost your metabolic rate by 3% to 11%. To understand this effect, let’s illustrate this with a 60 kg man: one day, he burns an average of 2,500 calories. If he drinks enough coffee, he may burn 2,575 calories—not by exercising but by drinking coffee. Coffee, 万岁!

3. It can improve your physical performance
There are some people who, before taking their IPPT (annual physical fitness test for all male Singaporean who are reserve soldiers) or having a workout, have a can of Red Bull. Red Bull comprises sugar and caffeine, and so does coffee. The science behind it is that it makes our body “tense” and “sharp” (same effect as staying awake), and therefore taking minutes off their 2.4 km running test. Well, maybe not minutes, but seconds is still good enough!

4. It can reduce your fatigue
Not only does caffeine keeps you awake, it fights off fatigue as well. Now, you must be wondering what’s the difference between being sleepy and fatigue. Imagine you’re an office worker who has six tasks to complete before 6.00 p.m., and it’s 5.00 p.m now. You feel tired and just want to sit there and do nothing. A cup of coffee will just kill off that fatigue and make you sit up straight, and complete the tasks like a boss. Oh, sorry, I mean for the boss.

5. It can stave off the onset of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes and dementia
Unhealthy? Well, anything too much is healthy. Anything in moderate is fine, but for coffee, anything moderate might even help prevent those diseases mentioned. And this is obviously not hearsay but based on studies or evidences.

6. It doesn’t cause insomnia
Once you down that cup of Starbucks, it is absorbed within ten minutes, and then your body would have flushed almost half of the caffeine out within seven hours. Ten hours later, almost 75% of it is gone. In other words, it has always been suggested not to consume caffeine six hours before your bedtime; but contrary to popular beliefs, it won’t cause insomnia, as the caffeine will be completely out of your body at night if you have drunk it in the morning.