PICK ME UP
The 7 ways coffee can help save your life – from slashing stroke risk to stopping silent killer in its tracks
Watch the video above to see some of the health benefits
THERE are worse ways to start the day than sipping on a steaming cup of coffee.
Many of us depend on an energising caffeine kick start to bring us to life in the mornings or to give us a boost in the inevitable afternoon slump.
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You may despair that you'll never kick your desire for that daily drip feed of coffee.
But as long as you're not guzzling too many mugs - and you're keeping added sugar to a minimum - your daily cup of Joe may actually be boosting your health.
New research found people who drink two or three cups a day have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke or type 2 diabetes - adding to evidence that the drink we know, and love, is good for us.
Experts at Soochow University in China found moderate coffee drinkers – two to three cups daily – were half as likely as non-drinkers to develop two or more cardiometabolic diseases.
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These are serious but preventable illnesses including heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and fatty liver disease.
Having more than one is called multimorbidity.
They are among the most common conditions in the UK, affecting millions of people, and are mostly caused by unhealthy living.
Writing in , Justin Stebbing, a professor of Biomedical Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University explained: "Coffee contains several essential nutrients beneficial to overall health.
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"A typical eight-ounce cup of coffee provides small amounts of B vitamins – riboflavin, pantothenic acid, thiamine and niacin – as well as minerals potassium, manganese, and magnesium."
Coffee can also be a rich source of antioxidants, compounds found in foods like fruit and vegetables that may help protect cells against daily damage.
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Prof Stebbing said that many people get more antioxidants out of drinking coffee than eating fruit and veg.
From slashing your risk of chronic diseases to halting silent killers in their tracks and evening extending your lifespan, here's all the ways your coffee habit could be benefiting your health.
1. It could slash your risk of heart disease and strokes
According to Prof Stebbing, moderate coffee consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.
"Studies indicate that drinking one to two cups of coffee daily may lower the risk of heart failure," he said.
"Additionally, coffee consumption has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular mortality and disease.
"Interestingly, even when someone has abnormal heart rhythms, coffee is not harmful according to recent data."
Recent research has indicated a 'safe limit' for coffee consumption when it comes to heart health.
Experts from Zydus Medical College in India said more than than four cups of coffee a day may strain your ticker by raising your blood pressure and heart rate.
Meanwhile Semmelweis University in Hungary found average coffee drinkers had a 21 per cent lower chance of having a stroke and a 17 per cent lower risk of dying of heart disease.
2. It could reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes
Your daily caffeine kick may also reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, Prof Stebbing went on.
"Coffee may enhance the body’s ability to process glucose," he explained, thus improving your chances of avoiding the disease.
The professor pointed to research showing that people who consume more coffee have a lower likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
US researchers found that people with diabetes could live longer by swapping out sugary drinking for tea and coffee.
An estimated 3.9million Brits have type 2 diabetes, which raises blood sugar levels and can eventually lead to heart disease and stroke.
3. It could help protect the liver
The benefits of coffee seem to extend across the body, as it could help keep your liver healthy too.
Coffee - both regular and caffeine free - appears to have protective effect on the liver, Prof Stebbing said.
The drinks have been associated with healthier liver enzyme levels, he explained, with coffee drinkers having "a significantly lower risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer".
But University of South Carolina researchers have also warned that adding sugar to your coffee may have the opposite effect.
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When can coffee be bad for you?
THOUGH coffee can offer a number of health benefits, it's important you don't tip over in consuming too much.
A moderate intake of coffee tends to be around three to five cups per day.
Too much caffeine intake can lead to negative side effects such as jitteriness, anxiety and sleep disturbances, according to Prof Stebbing.
"Some people who are especially sensitive to caffeine may need to limit their coffee intake or avoid it altogether, as even decaffeinated coffee contains caffeine," he added.
The professor also advised that you avoiding adding sugar and cream to your morning brew.
Both can up the calorie content of your coffee and could take away from the brew's benefits.
4. It could reduce your risk of several cancers
Liver cancer isn't the only form of the disease that coffee could help protect you from.
The staple brew has been linked to a reduced risk of several other types of cancer, including colorectal and womb cancers, Prof Stebbing noted.
"A systematic review found that high coffee consumption is associated with an 18 per cent lower risk of cancer," he explained.
Italian researchers last year estimated that drinking up to five cups of coffee a day can reduce your risk of developing and dying from bowel cancer.
5. It could lower your risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
Coffee consumption could also lower your likelihood of developing neurodegenerative diseases, Prof Stebbing went on.
This includes conditions like Parkinson's - where parts of the brain become progressively damaged, causing tremors and stiffness - and dementia, which causes loss of memory and brain functioning.
"Caffeine is associated with a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and may help those with the condition manage their movements better," Prof Stebbing said.
"Additionally, coffee consumption may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia."
Research by the University of Verona found that regularly drinking espresso coffee can reduce your risk of dementia-causing Alzheimer's disease.
6. It could boost mental health
Does your morning cup of coffee flood you with joy?
It turns out that the positive effects of coffee on your mental health can be more wide-ranging.
Prof Stedding said: "Studies suggest that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of depression, with some findings indicating a 20 per cent reduced risk of becoming depressed.
"What’s more, coffee consumption has been associated with a decreased risk of suicide,
"Research has found that people who drink four or more cups a day are 53 per cent less likely to commit suicide."
7. It could help extend your lifespan
"With all these benefits, it’s not surprising that research suggests that coffee drinkers tend to live longer than non-drinkers," Prof Stebbing concluded.
He referred to a study of over 400,000 people, which found that drinking coffee over 12 to 13 years was linked to a lower risk of death.
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This effect was strongest in people who had four to five cups per day.
"This longevity benefit could be due to the cumulative effects of coffee’s protective properties against various diseases," Prof Stebbing said.
Could coffee one day help alcohol addiction?
Scientists have recently discovered caffeine may counteract some of alcohol's effects on the brain's reward system by blocking certain dopamine responses typically triggered by alcohol.
Dopamine is often referred to as the 'feel-good' hormone.
It plays a role in many bodily functions, including addiction.
Dopamine can encourage you to repeat behaviours that result in pleasure, which can lead to addiction.
The new study, published in , offers evidence that caffeine can prevent the production of specific brain chemicals linked to alcohol's rewarding effects - which highlights caffeine's potential as a preventative tool in addressing alcohol addiction.
The researchers studied male rats and examined the effects of caffeine on the release of dopamine and other substances in the brain when alcohol was present.
The rats were divided into groups that received different treatments - some were given alcohol alone, some received alcohol and caffeine, and others were given selective drugs that block certain adenosine receptors to compare with the effects of caffeine.
Dopamine levels and brain chemicals were then measured.
The results showed caffeine effectively blocked dopamine surges triggered by alcohol.
Also, caffeine prevented the formation of a chemical called salsolinol, which is associated with alcohol's rewarding effects.
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