5 good reasons to drink coffee

For some people it is practically synonymous with “Good morning”. Others prefer to consume it in the afternoon and many even confess that they drink several cups throughout the day… The fact is that, regardless of preferences, coffee is part of the life of the majority of the population.

But not all people feel safe about this habit. After all, is drinking coffee good or bad for your health? What is the recommended daily consumption? Can everyone consume it?

Below you will have the opportunity to clarify all these doubts about coffee consumption, but before that, check out a list of good reasons to consume this tasty and so traditional drink at the table of Brazilians:

Benefits that coffee can offer

If you already love coffee, you’ll love this list. But if you don’t like it (or just don’t have the habit of taking it), you’ll know good reasons to consume this one of the most consumed drinks in the world.

1. Coffee can prevent disease

Vânia Beletate, nutritionist, specialist in Clinical Nutrition and Master in Evidence-Based Medicine from Unifesp, explains that coffee, if ingested without excess, can bring health benefits. “This is because some studies point out that coffee can prevent some diseases, such as type II diabetes, alcoholic cirrhosis and Parkinson’s disease”, she highlights.

Also according to the professional, some epidemiological studies point to a neuroprotective role of coffee in relation to the development of Alzheimer’s. “In addition to caffeine, other antioxidant compounds present in coffee may play an essential role in protecting against this disease”, he adds.

2. Coffee gives you more energy

Coffee, if consumed correctly, can, in fact, be very useful in people’s daily lives.

Vânia Beletate explains that due to its main psychoactive principle, caffeine, coffee “improves alertness, provides more energy and reduces drowsiness and the feeling of tiredness”. Therefore, it is a good option especially in the lives of people who have a very busy routine.

3. Coffee increases the ability to concentrate

Nutritionist Vânia highlights that, due to the presence of caffeine, coffee, in addition to providing more energy, increases the ability to concentrate. In this way, it acts making the person “smarter” and prepared for the tasks of their day to day.

4. Coffee can help with weight loss diets

Vânia Beletate points out that several studies in humans suggest that coffee consumption induces weight loss by increasing thermogenesis. “Within this idea, it is estimated that the average intake of 6 cups of coffee daily causes an increase in daily energy consumption of approximately 100 kcal”, she explains.

It is also believed that the adequate consumption of coffee can improve the performance of the person who practices physical activities.

5. The time to drink coffee makes your day more pleasant

Whoever drinks that coffee daily will identify a lot with this item. That’s because, for many people, the moments set aside to have a cup of coffee mean much more than the simple consumption of the drink.

Get out of bed and remember that, before anything else, “a cup of coffee awaits you”; knowing that, in the middle of the afternoon, you will get a few more minutes of rest while you have your coffee; catch up with a friend, family member or someone special while enjoying a coffee… These are details that, even without much explanation, really make a difference in people’s daily lives!

Recommended coffee consumption and contraindications

It is worth noting that, in order to offer any of these benefits, coffee must be consumed in moderation. “It is recommended to consume 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day, but there are some exceptions, where coffee is not indicated”, explains Vânia Beletate.

Consumption is contraindicated, for example, for people suffering from insomnia, high blood pressure, gastritis, peptic ulcer. “Heartburn is one of the most frequent complaints after drinking coffee. Such an effect may be based on a direct irritation of the esophageal mucosa”, explains nutritionist Vânia.

“It is worth mentioning that it is good to avoid coffee after meals, as some scientific studies show that drinking a cup of coffee after a meal reduces the absorption of non-heme iron (beans, for example) by 40%”, points out Vânia.

The nutritionist adds that the way coffee is prepared also makes a difference in terms of health. “Espresso coffee should be avoided and coffee filtered through a paper filter should be preferred so that the cafestol and kahweol present in the drink are retained in the filter, preventing the elevation of bad cholesterol, LDL”, she highlights.

Coffee should also not be consumed with excess sugar. The ideal is to take it pure, but, as not all people are used to its strong flavor, the tip is to sweeten it in moderation, preferably, following the guidelines of a nutritionist, who will indicate which is the best product for this (sweetener, honey, brown sugar, etc.).

Now you have good reasons to include a few cups of coffee on your menu and important tips so that its consumption is really adequate!

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.