For many people across the globe, coffee is the drink of choice and solution to getting through the day. Many morning rituals involve a coffee first thing to help people kick start their day and break free from feeling sluggish or demotivated. The routine continues throughout the day with another cup or two, to help keep people ticking over, focused, and alert
How Coffee Affects the Body
Ever wondered why coffee is the go-to drink for many people to help keep them alert and awake? Coffee prevents the build-up of a natural chemical in our body called adenosine that makes us feel sleepy.
Throughout the day, this chemical slowly builds up so as the evening closes in we start to feel sleepy, this is the body’s natural way of getting us prepared for sleep. Coffee, however, blocks this action by binding to the adenosine receptors in our brain, which helps prevent the build-up of this chemical.
Is Coffee Good for Us?
Coffee has a high amount of polyphenols in it, which is a group of healthy compounds found in a range of fruits and vegetables. Polyphenols could help protect against dementia by increasing the blood supply to the brain. Also, after an initial increase in blood pressure, coffee has the effect of decreasing our blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Research shows that polyphenols bring about a 15% reduction in the risk of heart disease.
The Link Between Coffee and Productivity
Because of the action that coffee has on the adenosine receptors in the brain, it helps us stay more focused and alert for longer. That focus is why so many people turn to it as a productivity booster. Drinking coffee can help you stay active, focused, and alert so you can get things done, keeping feelings of tiredness or lethargy at bay.
Regulating Caffeine Intake
Controlling caffeine intake is crucial to get the most out of the productivity boost that drinking caffeine brings, as overdoing it and drinking too much could have the opposite effect. Our bodies build up a tolerance to coffee. If you drink a lot of caffeine daily, it becomes the new normal, and you end up needing to drink more to feel the positive effects.
If you suddenly stop, this can cause headaches, muscle pain, and excessive tiredness, so getting the balance right is critical. Drinking 1-3 cups a day is optimum to avoid building up a tolerance and to ensure that you can continue to benefit from its effects long-term
Coffee Can Provide Pain Relief
Coffee can also help boost productivity due to the effect that it has on reducing pain perception and its ability to reduce inflammation in the body. Muscle soreness or pain can, of course, affect our ability to work and be productive. The good news is that the pain relief caffeine provides can ease pain symptoms enough to allow someone to continue with their day as usual.
Once again, to maximize these effects, it’s vital to regulate caffeine intake. Drinking an extra cup on a day you need pain relief, for example, will allow you to benefit from the pain-relieving qualities.
