Despite our reputation for being a nation of tea lovers, the UK is also a nation of coffee drinkers, too! It makes sense for a nation that often complains about cold and rainy weather that we find so much comfort in hot drinks. In fact, last year, UK residents spent one billion pounds on coffee!
It turns out that while we know coffee is good for getting us going in the morning and keeping us going throughout the day, there are a magnitude of health benefits that come with drinking coffee and, actually, even just inhaling the scent of coffee beans…!
Health benefits of smelling coffee
Yup, that’s right, even just smelling coffee can bring you some of the benefits that we all enjoy from our beloved hot drink. A study published in 2019 found that just inhaling the scent of coffee beans improved attentiveness and memory in the participants included in the research. Wild.
Those little beans do wonders for you before you’ve even had your first sip!
There are also a range of other health benefits that coffee has to offer, according to Healthline. Coffee can:
- Boost energy levels
- Decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- Support brain health
- Lower the risk of experiencing depression or low moods
How much coffee should you drink a day?
Of course, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, especially when it comes to coffee. According to Web MD, too much caffeine can cause insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, nausea, and increased heart rate.
So, to avoid those symptoms, as appealing as they may sound, how much coffee should we be having per day, ideally?
According to a dietician Victoria Taylor at the British Heart Foundation, four to five cups of tea or coffee per day is fine.
Taylor said: “Research shows that this level of caffeine intake shouldn’t be detrimental to your heart health, affect your cholesterol levels or heart rhythm.
“Although drinking coffee has been shown to increase blood pressure, this effect is usually temporary and is minimised over time if you drink caffeinated drinks regularly.”
However, if you have a caffeine sensitivity or intolerance, it’s worth checking with your doctor to find out just how much caffeine is safe for you or, alternatively, opt for decaf.
While decaffeinated coffee won’t give you all of the same health benefits, it is jam-packed with antioxidants and contains small amounts of essential nutrients, too.
Fancy a cuppa?