Do you enjoy starting your day with a large cup of black coffee? Here’s some good news for you: There are many benefits of consuming this hot beverage.
Black coffee doesn’t just wake you up and give you a boost of energy, but it can also benefit your health in many ways.
Benefits of Black Coffee
Not too long ago, coffee was considered a drink of the rich people. However, now, almost anyone can brew a cup of coffee at a very low price.
Since it is so easily accessible now, you should take full advantage of this beverage and its health advantages. Black coffee can provide a number of health benefits when consumed in moderation.
It is important to note that most of these benefits are only possible if you consume black coffee without any added milk, sugar, or creamers.
These ingredients can quickly add up calories and dilute the effect of black coffee on your health.
Here are some reasons you should consider adding black coffee to your diet if you haven’t already.
Aids Weight Loss
It is not uncommon for people to make mistakes while trying to lose weight. And one of the most common mistakes people make is not taking their liquid intake into account.
You may think a glass of packaged juice won’t do much harm, but it can quickly add up calories providing much nutritional value. Therefore, it can slow down or even reverse your weight loss journey.
If you’re looking for a healthy beverage that doesn’t have a negative effect on your weight loss, black coffee is perfect for you.
An 8 oz. cup of black coffee contains no fat, carbohydrates, sugar, sodium, or cholesterol and only has 4% of your daily potassium requirement.
These numbers don’t necessarily prove black coffee to be a “healthy” drink since it doesn’t have any nutritional value. However, the low-calorie content can promote weight loss.
But this isn’t the only way black coffee is beneficial if you’re trying to lose the fat around your midsection.
Organic black coffee contains a high amount of antioxidants, which can aid in weight loss. Even the instant coffee that comes in small sachets has a reasonable number of antioxidants.
Additionally, caffeine – the main component of coffee – helps stimulate metabolic activity. This leads to suppressed hunger and increased energy levels.
Black coffee is also a diuretic, which means that it leads you to urinate more often. This reduces water retention and leads you to lose all the water weight that you might be carrying around.
Finally, you can easily drink 3 to 4 cups of black coffee throughout the day without worrying about the calories. Hence, there would be a lower chance that you’d indulge in other sugar-filled drinks.
All of these can help you meet your weight loss goals even sooner, as long as you’re following a healthy lifestyle as well. Unfortunately, only drinking black coffee won’t help you shed that much.
So make sure to maintain a healthy diet and include some physical activity into your lifestyle.
Helps Improve Heart Health
Maintaining good cardiovascular health is crucial for everyone. The high amount of antioxidants in black coffee can support heart health in the long run.
The antioxidants also help reduce inflammation, which can protect the heart against arterial damage.
It has been observed through a lot of research that regular consumption of black coffee can reduce the risk of developing various cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke or heart attack.
You might be skeptical about the heart benefits of black coffee, as it causes an increase in blood pressure for a lot of people. However, this only happens when you’re not used to caffeine.
If you continue drinking coffee over a reasonable period of time, the negative impact on blood pressure will soon start to diminish.
It is also important to note that black coffee only causes a slight spike in blood pressure and is not as bad as most people make it out to be.
Improves Mood and Productivity
Do you know how you are able to focus better after your morning coffee? Even if you were dozing off a couple of minutes earlier, coffee makes you feel more energized and enables you to pay attention.
This happens because black coffee stimulates the nervous system by boosting the release of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and norepinephrine.
Also known as the “happy chemicals,” these neurotransmitters make you feel more positive, energized, and even joyful. It also enhances your cognitive skills.
As a result, coffee improves mood and focus, increases brain excitability, and can help facilitate a productive mindset.
This is why so many people prefer having a cup of coffee before they start their day.
Enhances Workout Sessions
Have you ever had a trainer tell you to have a cup of black coffee half an hour before coming to the gym? This is because caffeine can enhance your physical performance and ability to work out.
The caffeine increases the Epinephrine levels (more commonly known as adrenaline) in the blood. This improves the body’s ability for intense physical exertion.
In addition to that, it breaks down the fat stored in the body, converts these fat cells into free fatty acids, and releases them into the bloodstream.
These fatty acids can be utilized by the body as fuel for strenuous physical activities.
Having a cup of black coffee an hour or so before a workout session can significantly improve your performance.
Cleanses the Stomach
As discussed earlier, caffeine has a diuretic effect on the body. In addition to getting rid of the water weight, frequent urination can help flush out all the toxins and bacteria in the body.
Additionally, black coffee contains acids such as chlorogenic acid N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamine. Studies have shown that these can increase acid production in the stomach, which aids proper digestion.
Therefore, the more black coffee you drink, the better it would be for your stomach and would keep you healthy in the long run.
Good for Your Liver
The liver performs various essential functions in the body and is considered to be one of the most vital organs. Unfortunately, it seems like our modern lifestyles are designed to negatively affect the liver.
Alcohol, tobaccos, added sugars, added salt, fried food, red meat, simple carbs (such as white bread, pasta, and rice), and almost every major food that makes up our diet is bad for our liver.
Thankfully, black coffee isn’t one of these. In fact, the consumption of black coffee can actively benefit the liver in the long run.
Regular consumption of black coffee can help prevent fatty liver disease, hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
People who consume more than 3 cups of black coffee every day have an 80% lower chance of developing liver cancer as compared to those who don’t drink coffee at all.
Caffeine lowers the level of harmful enzymes in the liver, which results in a healthier liver.
Side Effects of Black Coffee
Unfortunately, black coffee isn’t a magic elixir that can solve all of your problems. While there are many benefits of consuming this beverage, there are also some side effects that you should be aware of.
These side effects are more common in people who drink a very high amount of coffee every day, but they can also affect you if you consume a moderate or low amount.
Here are some reasons why you should keep a close eye on your black coffee consumption.
Effects Sleep Schedule
Too much caffeine can negatively affect your sleeping schedule. If you aren’t used to black coffee, it is recommended to only consume it in the early part of the day.
Once you develop a certain resistance to coffee, you can enjoy a cup in the evening. However, you should never consume coffee for at least a few hours before sleeping.
Can Affect the Stomach Lining
If you have a habit of drinking coffee on an empty stomach, it can negatively affect the lining of your stomach. Caffeine can lead to an acid build-up in the stomach, which can be very harmful if you haven’t eaten.
To prevent this from happening, always make sure to eat something with your morning cup of coffee.
Stains Your Teeth
This is arguably the worse side effect of black coffee. It can lead to yellowish stained teeth, which can affect your appearance. As a result, it can make you slightly nervous about your smile.
There are certain precautions you can take to reduce the risk of stained teeth, such as drinking water right afterward, regularly flossing, and making sure that you practice good oral hygiene.
Bottom Line
Overall, the benefits of consuming black coffee far outweigh the side effects. And with a little precaution, you can easily reduce your risk of being affected by any of these side effects.
Just make sure that you consume black coffee in moderation, and you’ll start reaping all of these benefits in no time.
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