Don’t let go off your coffee fix

Are you a coffeegeek or what some call it coffee connoisseur or caffeine-head? Whatever may be the word, the world has hundreds of premium coffee bean varieties for all you coffee lovers, each with a unique flavour of its own. You have to travel the world just to sip all the flavours.

Flavours of coffee beans differ depending on the soil, climate and weather where they are grown. They may range from earthy to nutty and chocolaty to slightly sweet and fruity to crispy and smooth.

The most popular among them are Columbian, Jamaican, Brazilian, Guatemalan, Costa Rican, Ethiopian, Kenyan, Sumatra, Java and Hawaiian Kona coffee. The Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is one of the rarest and most expensive coffees worldwide.

Advertisement

Come winter and coffee is one the best beverages to drink and sit through the cold. And yes! Caffeine-heads, perhaps, stay healthy and strong as the beverage, hot or cold has many health benefits. Several studies pointed out the following:

A cup of freshly brewed coffee is filled with antioxidants that keep us in fine fettle. Drinking up to two cups everyday may lower the risk of developing life-threatening cardiovascular diseases. It helps in soothing arthritis and inflammation. By curbing inflammation, it also gives protection against arterial damage, reducing the risk of heart diseases by 25 per cent.

Four to five cups of coffee a day may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. It combats depression and stress.  It may help you gain mental sharpness and attentiveness. It also reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by more than 50 per cent. Daily intake of coffee reduces the risk of prostate cancer in males and endometrial cancer in women. It also fights rectal, breast, liver and colon cancer. It supports liver health by reducing harmful enzymes present there.

Coffee is an ideal beverage for those doing workout daily as it reduces fatigue, inflammation and muscle pain. It assists sturdy and spirited work out. Taken with carbs, it increases the level of glycogen that is much needed for apt power functionality.

Daily consumption of coffee is also said to improve the quality and quantity of semen. It may help prevent cellular damage to DNA within sperm.

However, there are disadvantages too. Studies states that pregnant women, people who are caffeine sensitive or dealing hypertension should be careful with coffee. One should also never develop dependency on this mild but addictive stimulant. Never make it next to impossible for you to leave it in future for any reason.

Stick to plain coffee with a maximum of 300 mg of daily intake to be safe, experts say. Balanced and moderation of food intake along with regular exercise is the key to good health. 

Advertisement