From soy
lattes to long blacks, coffee expenditure in the average Australian household
has increased from sixty cents per week in the mid-seventies to $5.77 per week
between 2009-10. While the price of coffee has increased during this time there's
no doubting that Australian's love affair with coffee is more than just a
fling.
We've
listed seven reasons below that will help you keep your coffee dream alive -
and they'll be easy to remember, because coffee's good like that.
COFFEE IS
FULL OF ANTIOXIDANTS
Coffee is
the largest source of antioxidants in the Western diet surpassing fresh fruit
and vegetables. You'd need to eat large amounts of berries to gain the number
of antioxidants consumed from a couple of cups of coffee.
Antioxidants
are kind little molecules. They donate electrons to free radicals. Free
radicals are constantly attacking our bodies with unpaired electrons that can
mess with cell structures like proteins and DNA. Distributing electrons to free
radicals is the same as giving them a 'chill pill' and may result in improved
overall health.
COFFEE
HELPS WITH YOUR MEMORY
Coffee is
a well-known stimulant. You know that buzz you get when you take your first
sip... or even just smell coffee? Well, that's the active ingredient caffeine.
Apart from the obvious uplifting effects of caffeine some studies show it helps
improve the brains capacity for memory.
A group of participants took place in a study in which they were required to remember images shown on a screen. Some were administered with a strong caffeine tablet and the others given a placebo. The research showed that those given the caffeine tablet were better able to remember the images better than those who had been given the placebo.
COFFEE
CAN HELP WITH DEPRESSION
Have you
ever had a coffee and felt your mood brighten? A study conducted on more than
50,000 older women over ten years discovered that those who drank little to no
coffee had a 15% higher chance of depression than those who drank coffee every
second day or more. Why is that?
Well, coffee helps the brain release dopamine, which sends signals to other nerve cells. But not just any boring, old signals... dopamine is reward-related and is responsible for the sensations of feeling in love, happy and motivated.
COFFEE
CAN HELP YOU LIVE LONGER
While
coffee isn't a magic elixir that will keep you youthful, it does have long
reaching effects on health, which can help you live longer. Because coffee is
shown to reduce cardiovascular and neurological diseases as well as decrease
the risk of suicide, studies have shown that for those reasons it does lower
the risk of mortality amongst coffee drinkers.
COFFEE
MAY DECREASE THE RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES
Energy is
created in our bodies thanks to insulin. When the body doesn't have enough insulin
you are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes - the most common form of
diabetes.
Some
researchers believe that Type 2 diabetes is caused by an accumulation of a
protein called HIAPP, which in turn can lead to the death of cells in the
pancreas. Three compounds found in a regular cup of coffee helped stop this
toxic accumulation, protecting the pancreas and decreasing the risk of Type 2
diabetes.
COFFEE
MAY LOWER THE RISK OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
While
there is no cure for Alzheimer's, there is some speculation as to what causes
the disease. The build up of amyloid beta is suspected to cause Alzheimer's - a
protein in the brain - and is most consistently found increased in Alzheimer's
patients.
Your
friend coffee can reduce the levels of beta amyloid and studies have shown that
coffee drinkers are less likely than their non-coffee drinking counterparts to
develop Alzheimer's.
YOUR
LIVER LOVES COFFEE
We've
probably saved the best for last - drinking more coffee may help reduce damage
caused by imbibing too much food and alcohol.
With over
430,000 study participants and data from previous studies, researchers found
that those drinking two or more cups of coffee a day had a 44% lower chance of
developing liver cirrhosis, amongst those surveyed. It all comes back to the
high level of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of coffee. But, be
warned... adding sugars, syrups or whiskey to coffee is not recommended as they
could potentially cause stress on the liver.
Coffee gift baskets from Byron Bay Gifts use organic coffee
and are complemented by delicious local chocolates.
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Fiona_S/2312966
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9661437