Do you feel powerless to quit coffee? Do you not like being addicted to caffeine, relying on it every morning to wake you up from the dead? Well, if you decide not to quit, the good news is that there are a few health benefits of coffee you may not realize….
If you’ve ever considered doing a cleanse, chances are that one of the golden rules is saying no to coffee and caffeine. The conventional wisdom is that in order to purge trapped, stored toxins from the liver and drive them out of the body, you need to purify your system. And that includes eliminating all acidic foods and drinks.
Considering coffee is well south of 7.0 on the pH scale—most varieties barely exceed 5.0—should you really give it up if your body is telling you that you need a metabolic reboot?
Well, other than suffering a caffeine-withdrawal headache, it may not hurt to temporarily quit coffee. If you want to detox while avoiding a caffeine-withdrawal headache, try limiting your consumption of coffee to a 4 oz. serving.
In general, even though caffeine is a drug and millions of people around the world are hooked on it, there are a few impressive health benefits of regular, moderate coffee consumption.
Glutathione
Glutathione is called the body’s master antioxidant. A combination of three amino acids, glutamic acid, glycine and cysteine, glutathione helps regenerate bodily tissues and proteins and is a key component of the immune system.
An Italian study published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics concluded that moderate consumption of coffee increased plasma concentrations of glutathione. Another positive from the study: drinking coffee did not raise plasma levels of homocysteine.
Homocysteine is another amino acid. Studies have found that high levels of it in the body can lead to damage in the lining of artery walls. Want to know if you have high homocysteine levels? Cleveland Clinic says you should have less than 50 mcmol/L of homocysteine.
Chlorogenic Acid
Coffee contains a few phyto- (plant) chemicals that may support your health. Chlorogenic acid or CGA has been shown to assist in the metabolism of glucose and fat. In addition, CGA possesses antioxidant and antibacterial properties. It has also demonstrated the ability to kill cancer cells in vitro studies.
Cognitive Protection
Filteredgrounds.com references two studies (this one and this one) that suggest drinking coffee on a regular basis is associated with a 65% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of studies involving coffee consumption conducted were not large-scale clinical trials.
So we have to take conclusions like this with a grain of salt or in the case of a cup of coffee, with a packet of monk fruit extract.
Nonetheless, there is strong evidence that suggests that drinking coffee protects against neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s Disease.
Liver Health
When it comes to regulating the female cycle, drinking coffee probably is not at the top of the list for remedies. But according to traditional Chinese medicine theory, things that dredge the Liver of stagnation (what we would call in the west, “detox”), like coffee beans, can help encourage a normal cycle.
When your Liver Qi is stagnant, you can feel irritable and tired. This is why caffeine, because it can resolve stagnant energy in the liver, can help overcome these symptoms, according to ancient Chinese medicine.
Love Coffee? Keep Drinking It, Moderately
These are just some of the reasons you may want to be a coffee drinker for life. If you enjoy it and it doesn’t make you feel jittery or anxious, hopefully these benefits will make you feel better about your habit. Just don’t go overboard. Keep your consumption to no more than a few cups a day.
Do you drink coffee? How does it make you feel? Leave a comment below...
