At AdvantEdge Business Centers we pride ourselves on offering all employees and clients with gourmet coffee (and tea) selections in our sleek business lounges and cafe areas. Many people find that they cannot make it through the workday without their morning cup of Joe (or second cup at lunch … or third in the afternoon).
There is much debate surrounding the supposed ill-effects of daily caffeine intake: some people claim that they’re absolutely addicted to the bitter brew and without it feel noticeably drowsy or irritable. However the following article highlights the latest research showing some surprising health facts about coffee:
1) Caffeine is not TRULY addictive: Liz Applegate, PhD, faculty member and director of sports nutrition at the University of California at Davis, explains that caffeine is not addictive. ‘Caffeine is a mild stimulant, and the World Health Organization states that it is wrong to compare caffeine intake to drug addiction, since people can reduce or eliminate caffeine from their diet without the serious psychological or physical problems that result from a true addiction.’”
So don’t worry coffee lovers! However, the article does state that more than six small-sized cups of coffee a day could cause these withdrawal-type symptoms. So, as with anything else, moderation is key!
2) Coffee may ward off depression: “A study from the Harvard School of Public Health, published last month in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that women who regularly drink fully caffeinated coffee have a 20% lower risk of depression than non-coffee drinkers. The study, which followed a group of women for 10 years, found that as more coffee was consumed (up to six cups per day), the likelihood of depression decreased.”
Many coffee-drinkers love the morning routine of brewing their favorite coffee, and this routinization can help benefit their productivity as a result. So be a happy worker, and drink some coffee!
3) Coffee may help regulate a healthy weight: “‘When you drink coffee after a meal, it causes your body to more slowly process the meal you just ate,’ says Chris Kilham, medical researcher, founder of Medicine Hunter, Inc. and author of Psyche Delicacies. According to David Levitsky, PhD, professor of nutritional science at Cornell University, ‘Caffeine decreases the rate at which the stomach dumps its contents into the duodenum-a part of the small intestine where digestion takes place – and also increases metabolic rate.’”
Remember to brew in moderation if one of your new year goals is to lose weight, considering if you consume a significant amount of coffee after dinner, you may consequently disrupt your sleep.
4) Coffee may lower your risk for skin cancer: “… a new study out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that women who drank more than three cups of coffee a day had a 20% lower risk for basal cell carcinoma, and men had a 9% reduced risk. However, the research did not indicate that coffee consumption reduced the risk of squamous cell carcinoma or melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, making it all the more important to protect your skin when outdoors.” So next time you’re heading outside on a sunny day, don’t forget to add an iced coffee to your skincare regime along with SPF lotion.
5) Your coffee pot can be a bacteria-breeding ground: “A study performed by NSF International, a not-for-profit health and safety organization, found that the coffee reservoirs they studied were ‘loaded with yeast and mold organisms,’ says Robert Donofrio, PhD, director of NSF International’s microbiology labs. ‘Hardly any of the volunteers we spoke to cleaned or disinfected their reservoirs. The residual water in that area, plus the fact that it’s a humid part of the machine, contributed to bacterial growth.’”
Therefore it’s important to clean your coffee pot at least once a month at home (the article suggests using vinegar for best results). At AdvantEdge we use individual pods to not only provide greater selection, but also because it’s more sanitary. Plus, all of the pods are green-friendly and 100% recyclable, so it’s a win-win for our environmentally-conscious coffee lovers.
Check out the rest of the interesting article above for even more health facts about coffee, and happy brewing (in moderation)!
