As we navigate through life and reach our senior years, it’s more important than ever to look after our mental and physical wellbeing. To enjoy your golden era and get the most out of it, you need to be paying closer attention to what you eat, how much you exercise, and partaking in hobbies to keep your brain stimulated.
For the coffee lovers who have had their daily cup of joe for more years than they dare think about, there is good news – drinking coffee can actually be good for you! Understandably, too much of the stuff can wreak havoc on your sleep, existing health conditions, and hydration. But, a few cups a day may positively benefit your health. Here are just some of the health benefits you could gain from drinking coffee.
Increases Energy Levels
As you probably already know, caffeine is a powerful stimulant found in coffee. This compound is the predominant reason you feel full of energy and ready to take on the world once you’ve had your morning cup of joe. Caffeine stimulates the release of certain hormones in the body. These can reduce feelings of tiredness and replace them with energy.
For seniors, in particular, it can be difficult to find the energy to get through the day. However, if you pour yourself a cup of coffee in the morning and get your caffeine fix, your energy levels will increase which will keep you going throughout the day and boost stamina levels too.
Lowers Risk of Several Diseases
As you age, you’re more vulnerable to lifestyle-induced and infectious illnesses. Once you reach your senior years, your immune system begins to decrease in function. While you may accept this as a fact of life, there are significant steps you can take to keep your health and wellbeing in check. One way of doing so is by filling your body with healthy foods and beverages, like coffee.
A simple 8-ounce cup of joe contains numerous nutrients like vitamin D, folate, and magnesium. When added together, these nutrients can ward off a list of several diseases, such as liver disease and type 2 diabetes. It’s not just hot coffee beverages that can lower your risk of these diseases. Iced coffee may also lower your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. If you’re after something cold, Cup & Bean have a guide on how to make iced coffee. They have a wide range of recipes you can try out that can get you started on your coffee journey.
Potent Source of Antioxidants
When it comes to health studies over the last few years, there has been a real focus on antioxidants. In fact, antioxidants have an abundance of health benefits that you may not be aware of. For starters, they can get rid of free radicals that damage cells.
The good news is coffee is a potent source of antioxidants. Coffee shows more antioxidant activity when compared to cocoa and green tea. Chlorogenic acid is an important antioxidant in coffee that can help in preventing cardiovascular disease.
Decreases Anxiety and Depression
Seniors in particular are susceptible to anxiety and depression. There are a number of reasons for this. As you get older, your mobility may decline which makes it difficult to perform the simplest of tasks. You may become more withdrawn from society. Sadly, this can have an enormous impact on your confidence and self-esteem, which increases anxiety and depressive episodes.
What may surprise you is drinking a daily cup of coffee can potentially relieve depression symptoms. Coffee’s anti-inflammatory properties are linked with decreased depression. Understandably, too many cups can have the opposite effect and cause irritability, nervousness, and insomnia.
Fights Dementia
One of the most frightening aspects of getting older is the increased risk of developing dementia. This neurodegenerative disease leaves its victims forever scarred because of its behavioral and physical symptoms. Although the condition sadly has no cure, there are things you can do to lower your risk of developing dementia. One of which is including coffee in your day-to-day routine.
Coffee helps in delaying the onset of dementia or its progression during the early stages by blocking unwanted inflammation in the brain, preventing type 2 diabetes that may progress to dementia, and improving brain function.
Increases Longevity
Once you hit your golden years, you’ll want to do everything possible to live a good quality of life. We all want to be on this earth for as long as possible, provided we’re in good nick. Studies have shown that those who drink at least 3 cups of coffee per day have a significantly lower risk of dying of any cause in that timeframe.
While there are an array of other factors that go into increasing longevity, such as exercising regularly, eating fruits and vegetables, and boosting brain power, drinking coffee can also play a part in extending your lifespan.
There are millions of seniors who start their day off with a cup of joe – and for good reason. Whether you’re a cappuccino fanatic or a quick espresso gets you up and running, drinking coffee may provide all the health benefits above, and then some!
Please consult with your doctor for personalized health advice.
Hi, I’m Anna the Editor of Beauty and Lace.