Yet Another Reason to Love Coffee: It Could Add Nearly 2 Years to Your Life
The positive effects of coffee on staving off mortality were applicable across all genders and ethnicities studied (spanning the Americas, Europe, Australia, and Asia). These findings also applied to people with underlying health conditions such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer and those without preexisting health concerns. So what, exactly, is in coffee that makes it such a powerful elixir?
“Brewed coffee contains several different components that are linked to protection against inflammation and chronic disease,” says Brooklyn–based dietitian Maddie Pasquariello, MS, RDN. “First and foremost, it offers strong antioxidant activity—which protects the body from cellular damage by scavenging for free radicals—by way of chlorogenic acid and other polyphenols while also protecting against oxidative stress in the GI tract.” Second, coffee offers a solid dose of glorious caffeine, which keeps your brain alert, increases blood flow to the heart, and works to keep inflammation (a key driver of disease) at bay.