Are you a total Starbucks fiend? The type of person who simply must have their expensive half-caf mocha latte with two pumps of espresso every morning or they go mad?
Well, then science has some absolutely superb news for you! Your addiction to that wonderful coffee every day could actually be helping you live longer.
Scientists (bless them) were able to connect “advancing age, systemic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and coffee consumption,” per Stanford Medicine. Basically, coffee can help safeguard you against a chronic inflammatory process that happens when you reach elderly status.
So suck down that java, because it’s helping your body fight old age and deterioration that could wind up giving you heart disease and increasing your chances of dying.
ReactionGifs
We already know that coffee is great because it contains caffeine, which can actually be really beneficial for you in moderate doses. But interestingly enough, caffeine has another superpower in that it “targets and combats” this chronic inflammatory process, which is huge news, because inflammation is actually a huge reason for many elderly people’s illnesses.
According to David Furman, the study’s lead author, “More than 90 percent of all noncommunicable diseases of aging are associated with inflammation… Our findings show that an underlying inflammatory process, which is associated with aging, is… driving cardiovascular disease.”
And the even better news is that the mechanism that starts the inflammatory process is actually “directly countered by caffeine and associated compounds.”
That means that every time you sip on a caffeinated beverage, you’re actually helping your body fight against inflammation that could lead to heart disease further down the line, which is great for people who love their coffee or anything that contains that little wonder drug, caffeine.
So go, get in a long line, order your fancy coffee, and feel good about yourself as you enjoy it. You’re not just a coffee addict anymore — you’re giving your body the tools to fight against disease. And that can (probably) ease your guilt over your coffee budget every month.