Coffee or tea? Ask anyone, and they will be more than happy to tell you which “person” they are.

The health benefits of tea are well known, but what about us coffee people? It turns out that plenty of health benefits exist in our favorite drink, too! While they may not be quite as helpful in a Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino, coffee drinkers can take comfort in these healthy perks.

Essential Nutrients

Coffee contains essential nutrients that everyone needs, including potassium; vitamins B2, B5, B3; manganese and magnesium. In one cup of coffee, there are 2 percent to 11 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of these nutrients. Considering many people drink more than one cup of coffee a day, you can end up getting a sizable amount of these essential nutrients’ RDA just from your favorite beverage!

Caffeine

While everyone knows that caffeine helps you stay awake when you need to cram for class, the caffeine in coffee has additional health benefits. Caffeine improves energy, memory and mood. It also boosts adrenaline, which improves physical performance, and even aids in fat burning by increasing your metabolic rate.

Antioxidants

Most antioxidants consumed in the Western world come from either coffee or tea. Highly beneficial to your health, antioxidants work to protect you against aging, cancer and other diseases. Although coffee is a fantastic source of antioxidants, the antioxidants in fruits offer added benefits that aren't found in coffee. So enjoy your coffee, but make sure to keep fruits in your diet so you can get all the antioxidants you need!

Lower Disease Risk

Studies show that coffee can lower the risks of many diseases such as Type II Diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even depression. It also improves liver health, reducing the risk of liver cancer. Additionally, The caffeine in coffee works to lower the risk of developing Parkinson’s. The chances of developing any of these diseases are significantly lower in people who drink coffee regularly.

Despite the health benefits and delicious flavor coffee offers, health professionals recommend drinking no more than four cups per day due to the caffeine content. Also, remember that adding too much sugar to your coffee may counter some of these benefits. Keep these pointers in mind and you can receive all the advantages of a nice cup of coffee. Knowing these health benefits, we coffee people can all take pride in our favorite drink!

Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Julia B.