Whether we use it to wake up on weekday mornings or relax on a cosy Sunday afternoon, many of us tend to incorporate a hot cuppa joe (or two) into our daily routines. For this reason, a significant number of studies have been conducted over the past few decades with the intent to find any and all the health benefits of coffee, and you’ll be glad to hear that regular coffee drinking has a surprisingly large list of pros! Here are six of the most compelling reasons why you should find your brew.
1. Social sipping
According to Brisbane-based social researcher Dr. Emma Felton, coffee breaks are starting to eclipse pub outings as the new go-to social plan for Aussies across the country. Dr. Felton states that there’s been a cultural shift where it’s becoming increasingly common for young professionals to schedule social plans at local cafes during the day rather than frequenting bars or pubs after work hours. This is also why businesses like Corporate Coffee Solutions swear by incorporating coffee machines into office spaces to encourage coworkers to interact with one another rather than creating an office culture that’s too rigid for your employees to develop positive relationships.
2. Boosting productivity
But coffee isn’t just a useful tool when it comes to boosting office morale. In-office coffee breaks have also been proven to boost productivity during the workday. Providing employees with the freedom to take micro-breaks and self-manage their daily workload, makes for an office that’s highly knowledgeable of how they work best and are thus, more capable of adapting their working habits to suit fluctuations in their workload.
3. Inspiring co-worker collaborations
Cooperation and collaboration are rapidly becoming integral elements in most modern work environments. New models of increasing productivity evolve around the importance of connecting people who are like-minded but boast a great variety of independent skills. But how do we bring these people together? Promoting co-worker collaborations is all about creating work environments that are conducive to collaboration. This could mean anything from creating shared break or workspaces within the office to organising regular development meetings at a local cafe or restaurant that provide employees with a platform to voice any ideas. The role that coffee plays in inspiring co-worker collaborations is simply less formal than establishing meetings, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be just as effective, if not more so!
4. An abundance of antioxidants
It’s about time that we explore the genuine physical and mental health benefits that regularly drinking coffee can provide, starting with our brew’s high levels of powerful antioxidants! Coffee is naturally high in hydrocinnamic or phenylpropanoid acids. These compounds are incredibly effective at reducing and mitigating oxidative stress in the body which, if left unchecked, can lead to the formation of cancers and the premature aging of your body’s cells.
5. Lowered risks of disease
Cancer is amongst a number of other diseases that can be prevented through regular coffee consumption alongside other healthy habits like maintaining a balanced diet and practicing daily physical activity. The most compelling research to date has revealed that regular coffee drinking can help maintain the functions of our liver, pancreas, and also our brains! Caffeine can help maintain the balance of enzymes in our liver, significantly reducing our chances of experiencing cirrhosis of the liver. Alongside this, coffee drinking has also been praised as a staple in lowering the risk of pre-diabetic patients developing type II diabetes. And if you want even more health benefits on top of these, look no further than the effect that caffeine can hold on our own minds. A number of studies have discovered a correlation between drinking roasted coffee and preventing the build-up of plaque on the brain that’s been known to cause Alzheimer’s disease. And the positive impacts of coffee drinking can even be observed in those who only drink three or four cups a week!
6. Heart health
Finally, it goes without saying that one of the most common challenges that full-time workers face is finding the time to stay physically active during the week and show our bodies some much-needed TLC after hours of sitting and standing during the workday. It can be hard to find the energy to practise self-care after the daily grind. And that’s where caffeine comes in. Just as caffeine has been known to boost productivity in small doses, it has also been proven to provide energy for bursts of physical activity, as well as even speed post-workout muscle recovery.
Drinking French press coffee or coffee that’s dripped through a metal filter can also be a superb method of protecting oneself from cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol. But it must also be said that taking your coffee with cream and sugar can do the exact opposite and increase your likelihood of developing heart conditions. It’s all about how you consume your brew.
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Everything is best kept in moderation, and coffee is no exception to this rule. It’s all about finding consumption habits that work best for you in your daily routine. Be sure to experiment here and there to feel out how to maximise the benefits of your daily mug of joe!
