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The
87 percent of Americans who consume caffeine daily, with the average
java drinker gulping down 8 ounces a day—more research is proving that
coffee is actually healthy for you. So go on, have that latte without
guilt. As if you needed more inspiration, here are some brew benefits to
prove that sipping is smart:
Coffee helps you shed pounds
People
who drank more metabolism-firing caffeine gained less weight over 12
years than those who cut back on the coffee, say researchers at the
Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.
Coffee powers your workouts
Downing
coffee and toast between back-to-back workouts can keep you humming, a
study from the Journal of Applied Physiology reports. Athletes who drank
a caffeinated carbohydrate beverage after cycling had 66 percent more
glycogen (an energy reserve) in their muscles than those who had a
caffeine-free version. Replenishing glycogen helps you go farther and
faster in your next session. Do you run on caffeine?
Coffee helps you wake up refreshed
Drinking
a cup of coffee immediately before taking a 15- to 30-minute catnap can
leave you alert and rested after waking up, according to research from
The Sleep Research Centre, Loughborough University in Leicestershire,
England. Caffeine takes a half hour to kick in, so it will rouse you
after a short snooze. Try these tips to sleep your way gorgeous.
Coffee can ward off illness
Increasing
your coffee intake may prevent liver cancer, The National Institute of
Environmental Medicine in Stockholm, Sweden, finds. Two cups of java
daily lowered a person's risk by 43 percent on average. In another study
from University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, women who drank coffee had
a 24 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease and other
inflammatory conditions. Antioxidants in coffee are likely behind the
protective benefits.
Coffee can ease muscle cramps
Women
who had the caffeine equivalent of two cups of coffee the day after
their quadriceps were stimulated (as if they'd done squats) felt 48
percent less leg pain within an hour, research from the University of
Georgia in Athens reveals. Caffeine may block the body's receptors for
the ouch-causing chemical adenosine, scientists speculate.
Coffee makes cardio feel like a cinch
Women
given the caffeine equivalent of about two cups of coffee an hour
before cycling reported 40 percent less pain than those who went decaf,
according to a study from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. Caffeine seems to block neurotransmitters that signal
discomfort during exercise, researchers say.
Coffee helps you get want you want
Dealing
with a difficult person? Broach a tough topic over a cup of joe.
Caffeine may make people more open to persuasion, the European Journal
of Social Psychology notes. Researchers say it hones cognitive function,
causing skeptics to be more receptive to a convincing case.
Coffee may fight breast cancer
Young
women drinking four or more cups of caffeinated coffee daily reduced
their breast cancer risk by 40 percent compared with nondrinkers, a
study in the Journal of Nutrition finds. The caffeine and polyphenols in
regular coffee protect against cancer. Worried about getting the
jitters? Even two cups every day can help. And try these risk-reducing
recipes as well.
Coffee improves recall
Caffeine
perks up short-term memory, a study from the Medical University of
Innsbruck in Austria reveals. One cup of coffee may be all it takes;
drink it before a big meeting to be your sharpest.
by By Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief |
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