Have you ever survived on just coffee for a full day and made to feel guilty about the fact? Turns out, consuming caffeine soaked beverages ain’t such a bad idea after all
When I remember my school days, a stand out memory involves those haunting nights before exams when you try to swallow a year’s worth of knowledge in one night. My only companion (besides borrowed notes) would be my mom feeding me pista badam at regular intervals.
They say moms are always right – even when they don’t know why. Those nuts contained a magic ingredient that would help me reach the finish line at the end of each ratta marathon. The magic that was caffeine?
Here are 5 cool benefits of caffeine that should put you off the guilt trip down the coffee lane.
1. Focus, Focus, And More Focus
In the post-covid world where the boundaries between work and life and school and home are increasingly blurred, a cup (or ten) of a caffeinated beverage becomes a must.
Whether you prefer coffee or tea, chocolate shake or soda to begin your work or school day, you can be rest assured that the caffeine in all of these will help your brain to drown out distractions, elevate alertness and basically turn you into Doctor Strange of ordinary humans. It does so by blocking the effects of Adenosine- a neurotransmitter responsible for making us doze off as soon as we open our book or laptop to work.
Fact – Coffee Can Keep You Alert For Up to 2 Hours Or More BUT…
There could be times when you drink your coffee you start to feel its effects within 15 minutes. It can stay in your system for four to six hours. If you drink coffee every day, your body will develop tolerance. When you drink one cup of coffee it may keep you awake for one or two hours.
Source: The Espresso Expert
2. Books With Looks? Why Not!
You don’t have to be a fan of Queen’s Gambit to admit the fact that a glowing skin brilliantly complements a focused human. Lucky for us, caffeine provides both.
Did you know that caffeine (in the form of cocoa beans) was used as a body cleansing agent by women in the 12th century? Nowadays, you can get chocolate face masks but isn’t it much better to snack on a chocolate bar and enjoy the effects on the taste buds and the skin?
Coffee Beans, Energy Drinks, Dark Chocolate, Espresso, Sodas, Green And Black Teas contain very high caffeine content
Source: MYFOODDATA
3. Cut That Fat
While we are all for body positivity here at FUCHSIA (everyone should be), if there is a chemical that can help increase metabolism and endurance level, what’s the harm in singing its praise?
Caffeine is an active ingredient in many weight loss pills and has a positive effect in increasing the fat-burning rate by your body cells. Caffeine can actually make your exercise regime doubly effective by increasing the endurance level of your muscles so that you don’t tire out after 5 mins on a treadmill.
4. Avoid Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
Yes folks! The much maligned caffeine has been proven to reduce risk of dementia as well as probability of developing Parkinson’s disease. Research has shown that four cups of coffee (equivalent to roughly 200mg per dose) of caffeine intake reduces the risks of these diseases as well as liver cancer and Type 2 Diabetes in healthy adults. As it turns out, the caffeine craze has some long term benefits.
5. Cure For The Heart?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for the lovesick (maybe an Anurag Kashap film?), but for the heart, caffeine has got you covered. According to countless studies, a steady dose of caffeine Can Reduce the Risk of Stroke in healthy adults by 20%.
No wonder when Avicenna wrote about the therapeutic effects of coffee beans back in 1025 CE, he had a point. So enjoy those dopamine hits without getting shot in the heart (excuse the puns).
Word Of Caution
While the anti-caffeine brigade can continue to warn about the dangerous effects of caffeine(everything over-consumed can be harmful and caffeine is a little addictive), you can sip your coffee or green tea, munch on chocolate or nuts (in moderation, obviously) to enjoy all the amazing benefits of caffeine in these items.
So avoid caffeine abuse but make it a part of your diet, because when Mahira Khan says, Jaagna Tu Parega, you got to obey the queen.
Also find out about the magical properties of honey!
Get Healthy This Ramazan
Maleeha is based in Lahore and pursuing a bachelor’s degree. She snacks on books, films, cookies and anything artistic under the Lahori hot sun. Her ultimate goal is to get a room of her own and a fixed annual income in her name (as per Virginia Wolf’s recommendation) to write forever, without falling prey to capitalist trappings. You can follow more of her ramblings on Instagram and twitter
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