3 Benefits of Coffee

Coffee is like nature’s magic elixir.  It has the ability to nurture the soul, lift the spirits, and grant you the ability to tackle the day’s hurdles head on, all with a few sips of the aromatic brown brew.  Coffee has gotten some bad press in recent years, which has left many coffee lovers wondering whether their daily cup of joe is worth it.  

We have 3 good reasons to drink coffee without the slightest bit of guilt.

1. 1. Coffee can help burn calories

Coffee can boost your metabolic rate, which means it can help you burn more calories.  This increase in metabolism can be especially helpful for gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band patients.  It means burning more calories without any more exercise.  The problem is, this increase in calories burned can quickly be negated by drinking high calorie coffee.  Dosing your brew with sugar and cream will add way more calories than the coffee itself can help burn, so choose your coffee carefully.  Plain black coffee can be an acquired taste, but try adding a bit of ground cinnamon for a nice flavor without adding any calories.

1. 2. Coffee can lower your risk of colon cancer

According the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking four to five cups of caffeinated coffee a day can lower your risk of colorectal cancer by 15%.  That isn’t to say that drinking coffee will eliminate the chance of getting colon cancer, or eliminate the need for screenings, but it may offer some protection.

1. 3. Coffee can help protect your liver

Research shows that moderate, regular coffee consumption can help protect the liver from several conditions, including liver cancer, fibrosis, and cirrhosis.  That doesn’t mean coffee will negate the deleterious effects of alcohol or drugs on the liver.  But antioxidants and caffeine in coffee seem to offer some protection against some liver diseases.

Coffee shouldn’t take the place of water for hydration.  Gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and gastric band patients should continue to drink adequate water (see our blog post here for hydration ideas).  But at 1 calorie per 8 ounce cup, coffee offers a whole lot of benefits that should make coffee drinkers feel good about drinking it.  In addition to the above benefits, coffee is also a good source of potassium.  While Americans generally could use some extra potassium in their diets, one group that doesn’t need extra potassium is people with kidney disease.  If you have kidney disease, refrain from incorporating coffee into your diet.

The above is offered by Dr. Shillingford, M.D., P.A., a board certified surgeon specializing in advanced laparoscopic and obesity surgery.  Dr. Shillingford’s gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and gastric band patients come from all over South Florida, including Boca Raton, Wellington, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Tampa.  Coffee offers many benefits, including boosting metabolic rate, reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, and protecting the liver.