This post originally appeared on Inc.

By Peter Economy

No, I am not a paid representative of the coffee industry. But I am a lifelong fan of this black, piping hot, synapse-stimulating beverage. I can remember as a young lad my parents suggesting that I dip my toast in their coffee for a mildly stimulating treat. That was just a taste of my own personal coffee journey to come.

Truth be told, there’s been a lot of scientific research on this ubiquitous liquid, and most of the news has been good. In fact, the evidence is increasingly pointing to the fact that coffee is actually really good for you – and in ways that go far beyond just keeping you awake during one more long staff meeting!

Consider these 7 reasons why you just might want to make coffee a part of your daily diet.

1. Coffee can improve your memory.

According to researchers, the caffeine in coffee blocks adenosine receptors in the brain – providing at least a short-term improvement in memory.

2. Coffee can make you feel good.

Scientists in Brazil recently discovered a protein in coffee that has a pain-killing and mildly tranquilizing effect that is similar to morphine. Not only can coffee make you feel better, report the researchers, but it can help alleviate stress – something everyone I know could use a lot less of.

3. Coffee may ward off Alzheimer’s.

A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that levels of the protein associated with Alzheimer’s are significantly reduced among people who drink five cups of coffee each day.

4. Coffee may be a cancer fighter.

According to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the risk of developing malignant melanoma is reduced by 20 percent among those people who drink four cups of coffee each day.

5. Coffee may extend your life.

Coffee is jam-packed with antioxidants, which have all sorts of positive effects on our minds and bodies. Researchers found that the risk of death from a variety of health problems – including heart disease and diabetes – were reduced among people between the age of 50 to 71 who include a cup of coffee in their daily routine.

6. Coffee can improve your mood.

A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who consumed at least four cups of coffee each day had a 20 percent lower chance of developing depression than women who didn’t drink any coffee at all.

7. Coffee may be good for your heart – and your brain.

The consumption of coffee has been found by researchers to lower heart and stroke risk factors such as heart rhythm disturbances and arrhythmias. According to the research, people who drink from 1 to 3 cups of coffee each day are 20 percent less likely to be hospitalized for abnormal heart rhythms than people who drink no coffee at all.

 

While Peter Economy has spent the better part of two decades of his life slugging it out mano a mano in the management trenches, he is also the best-selling author of Managing for Dummies, The Management Bible, Leading Through Uncertainty, and more than 75 other books, with total sales in excess of two million copies. He has also served as associate editor for Leader to Leader for more than 10 years, where he has worked on projects with the likes of Jim Collins, Frances Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith, and many other top management and leadership thinkers. Sign up here to always stay up to date with Peter’s latest Inc.com columns, and visit him anytime at petereconomy.com.

Twitter: @bizzwriter

Photo: Stocksnap.io

 

For more information on coffee, caffeine, and health, visit Coffee & Me