6 Health Benefits of Caffeine

People around the world love to have a cup of tea or coffee in the morning. A lot of them have one in the afternoon too.  

And if you are from India, you would know that having a nice hot cup of tea is something that can happen multiple times a day; irrespective of the weather.

Though a lot of countries around the world prefer to drink coffee, a majority of Asian countries would rather drink tea than coffee.

Beverages like tea and coffee have caffeine in them. Depending on the amount of tea leaves or coffee powder/beans you use, the caffeine content in your cup may differ.

We usually don’t think about how much caffeine we are consuming in a day. But, we should.

Because the amount of caffeine we consume on a regular basis is linked to the state of our health.

Which brings us to the question, does caffeine have any health benefits?

The answer is yes. When consumed correctly and in the recommended quantities, caffeine can help in different aspects of your health.

These are the six health benefits of caffeine—      

1. Caffeine may improve brain function and mood.

Adenosine, dopamine and norepinephrine are chemical substances that act as both— a neurotransmitter and a hormone.

When a person is in the state of being awake for a certain period of time, adenosine gets accumulated in the brain.

And as a person’s time of being awake increases, the level of adenosine in the brain reaches a specific level; which eventually leads to sleepiness.

Caffeine has the ability to negate the effects of adenosine.

Hence, having caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea or energy drinks can improve alertness and short-term memory.

Caffeine is known to increase the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the body and brain of a person.

This leads to better attention span and coordination. It also improves cognitive function in most people.

Consuming caffeine in moderate quantities can improve the mood of a person as well.      

2. Caffeine may keep Type 2 Diabetes at bay.

Studies have found that caffeine helps your body to process sugar in a better way. Hence, regular coffee drinkers are less likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes.

However, if you put a lot of sugar in your coffee, then it won’t work.

Also, as long as your diet contains a lot of refined carbohydrates (white rice, white bread, sugary drinks), there’s a chance that you might get type 2 diabetes.

There are many other reasons why people get type 2 diabetes.

So, it is best to learn about those factors and alter your diet and lifestyle if you want to avoid type 2 diabetes.

3. Caffeine can help in the prevention of Parkinson’s disease.

A lesser known health benefit of caffeine is that it helps you to prevent Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that mostly affects the central nervous system of a person.

It causes various problems pertaining to physical health as well as mental health.

Some of the physical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include tremors in a limb (hand or foot/leg), slowed down movements, rigidness in the limbs, digestive issues, constipation, frequent falls, having problems with balance & coordination.

Non-physical or psychological symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include insomnia, anxiety, depression, memory issues, decline in problem-solving ability, and difficulty in making plans and following them through.

Multiple studies have found that having coffee in moderate amounts lowers the risk of getting Parkinson’s disease.

And not just that, people who are already suffering from Parkinson’s disease are able to control their movements better if they have coffee on a regular basis.          

4. Caffeine helps in maintaining a healthy liver.

There’s data from various sources that suggests that caffeine, especially from coffee, is good for your liver.

Research has shown that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are more likely to have healthy levels of liver enzymes than the ones who don’t drink coffee.

Consuming coffee in moderate amounts also reduces the risk of getting various liver diseases such as liver cancer, cirrhosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

It may even slow down the progression of fibrosis in people who have hepatic fibrosis, NAFLD and cirrhosis.

These health benefits of coffee may be due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.          

5. Caffeine lowers your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease.

The short-term stimulating effects of caffeine on a person’s central nervous system are quite well-known. But what are the long-term effects?

Most CAIDE (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Incidence of Dementia) studies have shown that caffeine— or coffee to be precise— helps in fighting against cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

In fact, drinking 3-4 cups of coffee per day at midlife was associated with a reduced risk of getting dementia or Alzheimer’s disease by about 65% at late-life or old age.

When people discuss the coffee's health benefits and risks, keeping Alzheimer’s disease at bay is something that rarely comes up.

But it is a major benefit of drinking coffee.  

6. Caffeine helps in maintaining heart-health.

This is perhaps one of the most important health benefits of caffeine.  

When a person’s heart becomes weak, it has trouble pumping the required amount of blood through it.

Having a weak heart can lead to heart failure in a lot of people.

A few observational studies have shown that consuming just two cups of caffeine a day can help in the prevention of health failure.

Herein, we have mentioned the reasons why coffee is good for you. However, coffee is not a cure for diseases.              

So, if you are suffering from any illness, take advice from a doctor before consuming coffee or other beverages containing caffeine.  

Health Benefits of Caffeine FAQs

Is caffeine good or bad for the body?

When consumed in moderate quantities, caffeine is considered to be safe. It can even display the above-mentioned benefits in most people.

However, excessive caffeine intake can cause some side effects in an individual.

So, it is very important for a person to understand how caffeine affects them individually.  

Is caffeine good for skin?

Yes. When used topically, caffeine can be beneficial for the skin. And the best way to do that is by using skin care products with caffeine in it.

Caffeine is famous for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These caffeine-properties are helpful in reducing inflammation and brightening your skin.

But keep in mind that excessive use of caffeine may lead to some negative side effects like dehydration (dry skin) and increased sebum production (oily skin).

Though both these side effects might seem contradictory, depending on an individual’s actual skin type, one or the other side effect might be noticed.

Is caffeine good for hair?

Yes, caffeine is known to be beneficial for your hair. It aids in stimulating hair growth. This ultimately helps in preventing hair loss.

In order to achieve this, it is best to apply powdered caffeine on your scalp and hair rather than consuming it.

Does coffee brighten skin?

Yes, coffee can brighten the skin.

It is a good exfoliating agent that helps in removing the dead skin cells that get accumulated on the surface of your skin over a period of time.

For this to happen, you need to apply caffeine directly on your skin and massage your face in circular motion.

Doing this would also stimulate skin tissue repair.

Removing dead skin cells and repairing skin tissues lead to a clean and clear skin making it more even toned and bright.

It can even help with reducing dark spots and tan.  

Does caffeine darken hair?

People with light-coloured hair need to be careful while using caffeine topically as it might leave a stain on the hair.

If you have light-coloured hair, then it is best to use hair products (shampoo and conditioner) with caffeine as an ingredient.

This way, you can enjoy the benefits of caffeine without tinting your hair brown.

Who should avoid caffeine?

People with certain health conditions and illnesses need to avoid caffeine.            

People with diabetes need to monitor their caffeine intake as it affects the way the body processes sugar.

People with epilepsy need to make sure that they don’t use caffeine in large quantities.

Also keep in mind that caffeine can cause or worsen diarrhea. So, if you are prone to diarrhea, it is best to keep your caffeine intake to a minimum.    

How much caffeine in a day?

About 400 mg. of caffeine a day is deemed safe for most grown individuals.

However, if you get frequent headaches, feel restlessness or nervousness a few minutes after having coffee or other caffeinated beverages, then it is best for you to cut back on caffeine.