5 Health Benefits Of Caffeine You Should Know About

Too much caffeine can — like anything else consumed in excess — have a negative impact. But consuming it in moderation can yield some awesome health benefits. 

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reports that adults in the U.S. consume an average of 135 mg of caffeine every day. That works out to about one and a half cups of coffee.

While many people get their caffeine through coffee, soda, or energy drinks, they get caffeine and a whole lot more by going this route. These beverages are often loaded with sugar and other additives that aren’t good for your health. Sure, you can get the caffeine you want by consuming these drinks, but you’ll also get some things you can live without.

That’s one reason more and more people are using caffeine pills, which provide all the benefits of caffeine without the sugar, dairy, or other additives you may not desire. With caffeine pills, you can have your proverbial cake and eat it too.

Consider these five health benefits of caffeine, whether in pill or beverage form.

1. Helps With Weight Loss
One benefit of caffeine is that it can help you to lose weight. According to one source, caffeine can, over the short term, enhance the metabolic rate and boost fat burning. Keep in mind that this metabolism boost is short-term. It works because caffeine can suppress your appetite and temporarily lessen your desire to consume food.

Caffeine is not a magic bullet since it offers short-term benefits, but it can kickstart your weight loss efforts so you get off on the right foot. If you’re a habitual snacker who consumes too many calories, caffeine can factor into your weight loss journey.

2. Improves Brain Function
Caffeine can also improve brain function. It’s one reason people regularly drink coffee when staying up all night to study for an exam or write an essay. Caffeine can boost alertness, strengthen concentration, and lighten your mood. That’s just what you need when an all-nighter is what you need to get something done sooner rather than later.

But caffeine can also improve your mental health by reducing depression. It’s also worth noting that ongoing caffeine consumption has been associated with safeguarding against cognitive decline and reducing risks of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and strokes.

3. Improves Long-Term Memory
Research at John Hopkins University shows that caffeine may boost long-term memory. In the study, participants who took 200 mg caffeine tablets after studying several pictures were more successful at differentiating these pictures from similar pictures when tested the following day.

One of the study’s authors noted that while the “cognitive-enhancing effects” of caffeine have been known for a long time, the effects of caffeine in “strengthening memories and making them resistant to forgetting” haven’t previously been looked at in substantial detail among people.

4. Safeguards Against Cataracts
It might surprise you to learn that consuming coffee can lower the odds of getting cataracts. According to one source, people who drink a lot of coffee tend to have lower instances of cataract blindness than people who don’t drink as much coffee.

5. Lowers Kidney Stones Risk
If you’ve ever had kidney stones, you know the pain can be excruciating. You wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. One way to lower your risk of getting kidney stones is by drinking coffee. Drinking lots of fluids can play a role in safeguarding against kidney stones.

Now that you know some of the benefits of caffeine, you might want a cup of coffee. Better yet, get caffeine pills to get the caffeine you want without the extras like sugar.