6 Benefits of Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the main ingredients found in coffee, tea, and other drinks associated with giving you that essential kick early in the morning and throughout the day. Scientists believe that caffeine-producing plants evolved to produce this compound to act as a natural pesticide against insects.
The compound may act as a way for plants to protect themselves against destructive insects. However, caffeine has been used since as far back as 1025 CE as a therapeutic agent. People use caffeine in caffeinated beverages to wake themselves up in the morning and stay awake.
Consuming caffeine in the right amounts can help you get several health benefits besides waking you up in the morning.
Benefits of Caffeine
Here is a look at the six benefits of caffeine for your health.
1. Can Improve Cognitive Performance
Studies have observed that caffeine does more than improve alertness and wakefulness. The compound has also been known to improve the simple reaction time, choice reaction time, and incidental verbal memory. It means that caffeine consumption can improve overall cognitive performance in the right amounts.
2. Helps Burn Fat Faster
Consuming caffeine can instill a change in our body's metabolism. It can alter the body's preferred source of energy from glycogen (sugar) to fat. The result is an improved ability for your body to burn the fat deposits stored around your body.
3. Helps With Post-Exercise Recovery
The benefits of caffeine extend beyond burning more fat. Prolonged periods of exercise can result in burning off loads of glycogen under normal circumstances. Consuming caffeine encourages glycogen resynthesis in the body. It means that having caffeine after exercise and pairing it with carbohydrate intake can help bring up glycogen levels.
4. Mitigates Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is an irregularity of the heart rate that can increase your risk of several cardiovascular issues, including heart failure and strokes. Caffeine has an antifibrotic ability that can fight off any thickening or scarring of heart tissues. Atrial fibrosis is a part of atrial fibrillation. Consuming caffeine in just the right amount reduces the chances of atrial fibrillation.
5. Reduces Risk of Parkinson's Disease
Studies have observed the effect of caffeine in relation to neurological diseases like Parkinson's Disease. According to the study, caffeine can play a protective role for men against the development of Parkinson's Disease.
6. Reduces Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
Another one of the benefits of caffeine is its ability to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease. A study observed the relation between caffeine consumption at midlife and the risk of Alzheimer's Disease later in life. Researchers found that people who avoid drinking caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea in their mid-life have an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.
People mainly use caffeine to help them wake up in the morning. However, the benefits of caffeine are far wider. However, consuming too much caffeine can be harmful to the body. Some people also tend to be more sensitive to caffeine than others.
If you plan to increase your caffeine intake, you should consult with a medical professional to make sure you are not consuming too much.
