8 Reasons to Love Coffee (Even When on Holiday!)
The smell of freshly brewed coffee is seldom easy to resist, even when you’re on holiday and the intent of putting your body and mind to rest seems despairingly at odds with imbibing jittering-inducing caffeine.
In fact, walking into Bacchus to indulge in the lavish breakfast spread lovingly prepared for you by our team, and inhaling the roasted, rich scent of coffee, will no doubt have you requesting that an extra big pot of coffee is brought to your table.
If this scenario seems all too familiar, you’re in luck: coffee need not be at odds with you unwinding and relaxing on holiday. In fact, research from various centres worldwide is producing indisputable evidence signalling the health benefits of coffee…
1. Coffee is linked to a long life
whispering about the modest Greek island of Ikaria, and its people’s high life expectancy in comparison to the rest of the world, have been growing louder in recent years. What is it that results in such a high percentage of the population famously living well into their 90s?
Researchers at the University of Athens’ Medical School posited that it may be linked to the strong cups of coffee the islanders are known to languidly sip, and indeed found that coffee was linked to enhanced blood vessel health due to its prevalent antioxidants, as well as being able to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Moreover, a major Harvard study published in November concluded that higher consumption of coffee is associated with a lower rate of mortality overall.
2. Coffee helps keep your brain healthy
Further to protecting the heart, numerous studies are now showing that ardent coffee drinkers may have a substantially reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease. Other research indicates that coffee consumption is linked with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease. One study suggests this may be because of a compound in coffee called EHT, which has antioxidant effects and helps to fight inflammation.
3. Coffee could protect your DNA
A study conducted in Germany found that daily drinkers of dark roast coffee substantially improved the integrity of DNA health, compared to a control group.
And separate research from the University of Navarra in Spain showed that coffee extracts lowered oxidative stress, the underlying cause of ageing.
4. Coffee cuts the risk of diabetes
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that increasing coffee by more than one cup a day was linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes over a four-year period
On the other hand, those who reduced coffee consumption by more than a cup had a 17 per cent higher risk.
5. Coffee improves sexual health
An international team led by the University of Texas discovered a reduced likelihood of erectile dysfunction among men who consumed caffeine, especially those who drank about two to three cups of coffee daily, perhaps because of caffeine’s ability to increase blood flow.
Plus, a study out of Michigan found that having at least one cup of coffee per day meant more frequent sexual activity for older women and enhanced sexual potency for older men.
6. Coffee could reduce sun damage to eyes
Sunlight and the UV radiation it carries is a major risk factor for cataracts. Scientists from the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine found that caffeine could help reduce the oxidative stress that results from UV rays and have a protective effect against sun damage.
7. Coffee promotes strong muscles
A study from Wingate University in North Carolina showed that coffee encourages the cellular recycling process needed to maintain muscle. It also helps muscle regeneration and can slow sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss.
8. Coffee supports liver health
Scientists in China evaluated numerous studies about coffee and the liver and found that those who were frequent coffee drinkers saw a reduced risk of developing liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.
Plus, a study from the University of Naples in Italy revealed that coffee boosts glutathione, an important antioxidant, which plays a role in reducing oxidative stress and helps the liver perform its important job of detoxification.