You’ll have more energy… sort of
If you drink coffee every day, you’ll find that your energy levels increase, giving you a mental boost to power through mundane tasks. However, this energy boost will be short-lived. Eventually, you’ll have to face the inevitable caffeine crash, leaving you stuck in a perpetual loop of feeling highly energized and then extremely fatigued.
You may lower your risk of cancer
It may sound too good to be true, but drinking coffee has been proven to lower your risk of cancer. Studies have shown that drinking four to six cups of coffee a day can reduce the chance of getting all sorts of cancer, including some cancers of the mouth and throat, liver, and prostate.
Your mood may improve
Have you ever noticed that you’re especially grouchy if you miss your morning cup of coffee? That’s because the sweet stuff contains caffeine – a mood-booster like no other. Drinking just four cups of coffee each day can create a pattern of sustained positivity… just ensure you don’t become over-reliant on the beverage.
You could suffer with anxiety
While coffee has many mood-boosting effects, it can also severely impact anxiety levels. The high caffeine content can lead to your fight or flight response being activated, with your body on high alert for potential dangers – mental or otherwise. In extreme cases, coffee can even trigger anxiety attacks.
Your memory may improve
The caffeine content within coffee has been proven to improve memory function. More specifically, you’ll be more likely to retain information at the exact time you drink coffee. Likewise, you’re significantly more likely to be able to recall the details if you continue to sip the sweet stuff.
You’ll experience withdrawals
A frequent dosage of coffee is all well and good – until you try to ween yourself off. Cutting out caffeine can lead to extreme levels of fatigue, oversleeping, irritability, and increased anger. The longer your reliance on coffee, the more severe your symptoms will be.
It may raise your cholesterol levels
While black coffee doesn’t contain any actual cholesterol, it can raise your overall cholesterol levels. The diterpenes present in the drink suppress the body’s production of substances that break down cholesterol, leading to increased levels. Drinking coffee can also cause stress, another factor that can raise your cholesterol.
Drinking coffee could reduce your risk of type-2 diabetes
Studies have shown that drinking coffee – whether caffeinated or otherwise – can reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes by up to 40%. If you already have diabetes, however, the caffeine can be detrimental to your insulin levels, causing blood sugar that’s either too high or too low.
It could reduce your risk of early death
Perhaps the biggest benefit of drinking coffee every day is the reduced risk of death. Research suggests that drinking around three cups of coffee a day is associated with a 21% lower risk for all-cause mortality, meaning there’s never been a better reason to enjoy a cup of the hot stuff.
Coffee could aid your liver
Coffee can have an array of benefits for your liver, such as lowering the chance of cirrhosis, slowing the progression of liver disease, and reducing the risk of fibrosis. Black coffee is the best choice to reap these benefits, leaving fatty creams and detrimental syrups on the shelf.
You’ll have less patience
You might not want to hear it, but coffee can severely impact your patience levels. You may feel like the drink soothes your mind, but in reality it keeps you highly strung and agitated. Worse still is if you’re desperate for a coffee – with the cravings leading to unnecessary sharp and snappy behavior.
It provides your body with vitamins
One of the lesser-known benefits of coffee is that it’s filled with vitamins. The tasty drink contains vitamin B3, vitamin B5, magnesium, potassium, and a slew of antioxidants, just to name a few. Of course, these benefits are outweighed by creams, sugars, and flavorings, so ensure you keep your drink plain to live a healthier lifestyle.
You may lose weight
Some research suggests that drinking coffee can speed up the fat-burning process, particularly when paired with regular exercise. The compounds within coffee help to stimulate your body’s breakdown of fats, essentially making the hot drink a calorie killer. Of course, all dieting techniques should be handled in a healthy, sustainable way.
You’ll struggle to sleep
We all know that drinking too much coffee can result in a troubled, broken sleep. If you drink coffee late into the afternoon every single day for several weeks, you may bring on bouts of insomnia. Experts recommend that all forms of caffeine should be avoided for a minimum of six hours before you plan on hitting the hay.
You’ll be unable to function without caffeine
Caffeine is like a drug – the more you consume it, the more you’ll crave. Eventually, you’ll find yourself relying on coffee to function, experiencing severe bouts of brain fog if you go without the delicious drink for an extended period of time. The sooner you break the habit, the easier it’ll be.
You may protect your brain
New studies have shown that regularly drinking coffee can help to protect your brain. Namely, the drink can help to fend off Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, keeping your neurons in tip-top shape. More research is needed on the topic, but early findings appear to positively back these claims.
It could improve your gut health
The caffeine within coffee can increase the number of healthy bacteria in the gut, fending off potentially nasty illnesses. Coffee also contains polyphenols, a compound that can stimulate and feed the beneficial bacteria that are already present in the intestines. Keep digestive issues at bay and regularly consume coffee for a healthy gut.
You may become more social
Drinking coffee doesn’t just affect your body, it impacts your entire lifestyle. Sipping on a mug of coffee at a café, putting the world to rights with a dear friend is one of the greatest joys in life. Getting out of the house and trying various coffee shops does your mental health the world of good, alongside giving you a hefty dose of mood-boosting caffeine.
You’ll need to use the toilet more
If you’ve got a weak bladder, drinking coffee every day isn’t recommended. Caffeine is a natural diuretic, a compound that makes you urinate more. Coffee can also increase the amount of number twos you pass, sometimes bringing the need on unexpectedly. If you’re a regular coffee drinker, always ensure there’s a toilet nearby.
It may give you acid reflux
Drinking heaps of coffee every single day may lead to uncomfortable gastric problems. Caffeine increases the acidity of gastric secretions, which may manifest as burning acid reflux. To avoid any nasty bouts of heartburn, switch to decaffeinated options.
You may eat more sugar
Coffee comes in all shapes and sizes – no-foam, decaf, spiced – leaving you scratching your head and wondering as to what you’re actually consuming. Fancy coffees from takeaway chains are usually pumped full of sugar and carbs, with some containing over 1,000 calories. Keep it plain – the more basic the coffee, the better it’ll be for your health.
Coffee could trigger migraines
For some unfortunate folk, regularly sipping on coffee can trigger head-splitting migraines. This is due to the caffeine narrowing the blood vessels that surround the brain, causing pain in your tissue. To avoid potential headaches or migraines, switch to decaf – it still has all the antioxidants of regular coffee, just without the pain-inducing caffeine.
Your reaction times may improve
Going for a sneaky Starbucks won’t just give your brain a hit of serotonin, it may also improve your reaction times. Studies have shown that the consumption of caffeine improves overall alertness and high-eye coordination – making it the perfect drink to give your body and mind a much-needed boost.
It could give you heart problems
The American Heart Association claims that regular coffee intake can lead to severe cardiovascular issues. That is, if you suffer from hypertension. The research showed that drinking over two cups of coffee a day was associated with double the risk of death from cardiovascular disease among people with high blood pressure. If your health isn’t in the best shape, maybe cut down on the coffee.
It may repair your DNA
Can coffee really be that good for you? In short, yes. Scientists say that frequently drinking coffee reduces cellular damage within your body, including mutations within your DNA that can lead to cancer. For the best results, drink only dark roast coffee – and skip the sugar.
Coffee could raise your blood pressure
Drinking coffee every single day will undoubtedly raise your blood pressure. The surge is usually temporary – typically lasting around three to four hours – and the severity can differ from person to person. No matter your current blood pressure levels, it’s a scary thought that each sip of coffee you take puts more strain on your body.
It could fend off bouts of depression
Coffee drinkers are some of the happiest people in the world. This is because mochas, cappuccinos, or even just straight-up black coffee, can relieve symptoms of depression. More specifically, the caffeine within the drink gives an array of mood-boosting effects, making the world seem a little less gloomy. No wonder we all reach for the coffee pot first thing in the morning.
Your workouts may get a boost
Regularly drinking coffee doesn’t just provide the brain with a temporary boost, but the body, too! With a surge of energy coursing through their veins, many people choose to hit the gym once they’ve finished their espresso. In fact, coffee is so effective at boosting physical activity that some athletes drink a cup as a legal performance enhancer.
Your appetite could change
Many coffee drinkers are unaware that regularly sipping the sweet stuff can drastically change your appetite. Coffee acts as an appetite suppressor, mainly due to the drink providing your body with a rush of adrenaline. While that may sound good on the surface, it’s important to maintain a healthy diet – no matter how much coffee you drink.
You may dehydrate your body
Staying hydrated is vitally important to your health. Unfortunately, coffee can cause dehydration, leaving you feeling sluggish and subject to illness. You have to drink around five coffees a day to trigger dehydration, though it’s always a good idea to regularly sip water throughout the day no matter how much coffee you consume.
It could affect your skin
If you drink a cup of coffee every day for many years, you’ll eventually see the effects on your skin. The high acidity of coffee interferes with your hormones, impacting the amount of oil your skin produces. This can lead to acne, redness, and inflammation.
You’ll have bad breath
It’s no secret that the scent of coffee lingers on your breath long after you’ve taken the last sip. The acidity levels encourage bacteria to grow that create foul breath, along with the drink causing dry mouth – amplifying any aromas. If you plan on drinking coffee regularly, ensure you have a packet of mints on hand – for everyone else’s sake.
It may increase your stress hormones
We get the benefits of coffee due to the substance altering our hormone levels. Unfortunately, this can also have negative effects. When we drink coffee, our cortisol levels rise – leading us to feeling stressed and on edge. Worse still, cortisol levels are highest in the morning – a time when most of us turn to the warm embrace of caffeine.
It can interfere with pregnancy
During pregnancy, all drinks with high caffeine levels should be entirely avoided – including coffee. Although you can always opt for decaf, drinking coffee every single day until you fall pregnant will mean you’ll be fending with caffeine withdrawals alongside pregnancy symptoms… a mix that won’t be particularly pleasant.
It reduces your risk of gout
Great news for coffee lovers – research shows that coffee can fend off gout. One study found that women who drank two or more cups of coffee each day were at a lower risk for developing gout than those who did not drink coffee at all. For men, the number of coffees needed jumped up to six – but they were 50% less likely to develop gout.
Morning intake can lead to fatigued afternoons
Most of us reach for our coffee pot in the morning, bleary-eyed and weary, desperate for the caffeine to spring us into action. While it’s true that coffee does fend off the morning blues, it can make you feel more sluggish as the day goes on, with your body dealing with increased blood pressure, a caffeine crash, and hormone changes.
It can make you more intelligent
Coffee doesn’t just keep you alert, it can make you smarter. Drinking coffee increases the neuronal firing in the brain, while releasing neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. Combined, this makes for a more active, switched-on brain, allowing you to process information at a much faster rate.
Excess amounts can be dangerous
Despite the numerous benefits of coffee, drinking heap loads of the stuff every day can be detrimental to your well-being. In the most extreme cases, an excess of coffee can lead to muscle breakdown, irritated bowels, and kidney failure. Stick to one or two cups a day, and enjoy coffee in moderation.
It may lead to poor dental health
Drinking coffee every day have harmful effects on your teeth. Of course, drinking sugary coffees can lead to poor dental health – but black, sugarless coffee also has negative implications. The drink can wear down your enamel, creating an environment which promotes the growth of negative bacteria.
It can give you muscle tremors
If you overdo it on the caffeine, you’ll eventually experience muscle tremors. Whether it’s shaky hands, muscle twitches, or full-body jitters, experiencing them is never pleasant, leaving you feeling as though you aren’t in control of your body. If your muscles start twitching, it’s a clear sign you’ve had one too many coffees.