So You Think You Can't...Find a Reason to Drink Coffee?
Check out these 10 health benefits of coffee.
Sep 30, 2014
Jul 13, 2022
Nutrition & MovementSheryl Kraft, a freelance writer and breast cancer survivor, was born in Long Beach, New York. She currently lives in Connecticut with her husband Alan and dog Chloe, where her nest is empty of her two sons Jonathan. Sheryl writes articles and essays on breast cancer and contributes to a variety of publications and websites where she writes on general health and wellness issues. She earned her MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College in 2005.
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Did you miss National Coffee Day, which was yesterday?
Me, too.
Bummer! I could have scored a free cup of coffee at Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme, McDonald's, Peet's and other places.
But I still love coffee and am more than willing to pay for it. Aside from its taste, I love it even more for its health benefits, due to its disease-fighting antioxidants (which become even more potent after roasting).
Here are 10 reasons to drink coffee:
So, there you have it. Even though you have to wait a whole year until National Coffee Day rolls around again, you might be doing your body a favor by downing some. But beware of the add-ons: they can turn a zero-calorie beverage into a calorie-laden drink. For example, a drizzle of Starbucks caramel syrup adds 25 calories to your cup; a tablespoon of cream, 50 calories; one tablespoon of whipped cream, 90 calories.
But just because some coffee is good doesn't make a lot of coffee better. Depending on your individual makeup, coffee can cause rapid heartbeat, palpitations, irritability, nervousness and sleeplessness.
Some people feel gastrointestinal upset or reflux from drinking coffee. People with hypertension who have a hard time controlling their blood pressure should try switching to decaffeinated coffee to see if it has a beneficial effect, experts say.
If you have high cholesterol levels, you are better off brewing coffee with a paper filter, which leaves behind the oily fraction of coffee, called cafestol, which stimulates LDL levels.
And pregnant women are advised to keep their coffee consumption low—to about one cup a day—because the developing fetus is very sensitive to caffeine and metabolizes it very slowly.
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