Coffee: Good or Bad?

Guest blog post by LiveFit head trainer Rich Berrian:

Its good for you, its bad for you, its good for you, its bad for you… who do you listen to and which one is right?

While coffee is a mild natural diuretic and may keep you running back and forth to the restroom more often than usual… it does come with a few health benefits.

These health benefits include increases in:

 -Memory

 -Mood

 -Vigilance

 -Energy levels

 -Reaction times

 -Cognitive function

 -Logical reasoning

Coffee also contains an ingredient that is in almost all fat burning supplements on the market. This ingredient has been proven to aid in fat burning by as much as 10% in obese individuals, 29% in lean individuals, and can boost metabolic rate by 3-11%!

This wondrous ingredient is caffeine!

Caffeine forces fat cells to break down body fat which releases them into the bloodstream as free fatty acids, making them an available fuel source.

Studies have also shown that coffee may:

 -Reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by as much as 38%

 -Lower your risk of type 2 diabetes by 23-50%

 -Have a 20% lower risk of stroke

 -Decrease your chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease by up to 65%

 -Reduce your risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 32-60%(caffeinated only)

 -Lower your risk of liver cancer by as much as 40%

 -Decrease your risk of colorectal cancer by up to 15% when consuming 4 or more cups per day

 -Have up to an 80% lower risk of developing cirrhosis when consuming 4 or more cups per day

 -Lower your risk of becoming depressed by up to 20% when consuming 4 or more cups per day

 -Reduce likeliness to commit suicide by up to 53% when consuming 4 or more cups per day

While it is said that caffeine can increase blood pressure, the effects are minimal at 3-4 mm/Hg and will usually dissipate in people that have normal blood pressure if consumed regularly.

For the general population that follows a standard Western diet, coffee could very well be the healthiest aspect of their intake.

Coffee has a massive amount of antioxidants; because of how often it is consumed, people get more antioxidants from coffee than from fruits and vegetables both combined!

While some things can have a beneficial effect, let’s be sure to keep in mind that too much of a good thing isn’t necessarily a better thing!

When Derek first asked me to write a blog about coffee, I didn’t understand why.

All I knew about coffee before doing this research was that it made him hyper as hell, tastes kinda gross and my girlfriend won’t start her day without it.

Now knowing what I know, I need EVERY single one of the benefits I listed above!

To demand the most of your body, you must know your body.

In Fitness and Health, 

Richard Berrian
Personal Trainer
#gunslikerish