Around half of all people around the world aged between 18 and 24 drink Coffee, and that figure increases to 63% in older adults. Coffee drinking is a subject of a lot of debate – is it good for you to drink a lot of coffee? Are people who use coffee to get through the working day harming themselves? Researchers have put a lot of thought into coffee drinking, and some of their findings could be quite surprising.

The good news is that there are actually health benefits to drinking coffee:

Diabetes

Drinking a cup of coffee a day can reduce your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by approximately 9%, and it can also reduce your risk of kidney stones by 26% if you drink a cup or more per day. The reason for this is that coffee is a diuretic, and urination can help to release excess calcium and sodium from your body.

Liver Cancer

According to a study conducted by the Cancer Center at Hawaii University, drinking to to three cups of coffee per day can help to lower the risk of liver cancer development by 38% compared to those who do not drink coffee. A separate study conducted by researchers at the University of Southampton found that drinking one or more cups of coffee (caffeinated, not decaf), could help to reduce the risk of HCC by up to 20 percent, while drinking two or more cups offered a 35 percent reduction. Those who drank five cups per day had half the risk.

Improves Memory

Caffeine is a nootropic, and just 200mg per day can help to improve your memory. It works by blocking the neurotransmitters that can inhibit memory, meaning that other neurotransmitters associated with the retrieval of memory can work more effectively.

Helps Lower Depression

Coffee drinkers are 55% less likely than non-coffee drinkers to commit suicide, according to research conducted by scientists at Harvard University. A separate study conducted in Finland found that coffee drinkers are 77% less likely to develop symptoms of depression. Coffee is a powerful stimulant, and it has a wide ranging impact on our brains.