
photo: collected
If you need coffee to function but dislike its taste, you’re not alone. Indian NHS doctor and health content creator Dr Karan Rajan says he drinks coffee every day despite hating it, because of its potential health benefits and effects on the body.
1. For liver
For people with fatty liver disease, coffee consumption has been linked to around a 35% lower risk of significant liver scarring. That’s a notable reduction, suggesting your morning cup of coffee may do more than simply help you feel awake.
2. For brain
If you’re worried about long-term cognitive health, this will make you want to order another cup. According to Dr Rajan, “Regular caffeinated coffee drinkers had an 18 per cent lower risk of dementia than people who drank little or none. NB: This was an association, not proof of causation.” He’s being honest that it’s an association, not guaranteed prevention, but still, an 18 percent lower risk is enough to make you reconsider skipping your coffee run.
3. For gut
One lesser-known benefit of coffee is its potential impact on gut health. Dr Rajan explained that coffee is more than just a source of caffeine, with two cups providing up to 4 grams of soluble fibre, along with polyphenols, antioxidants and melanoidins. These melanoidins can act as prebiotics, which are fermented by gut bacteria in the colon.
But how does Dr Rajan drink his daily coffee while preserving these potential benefits? He follows a few simple rules:
Rule 1: keep it black
No caramel drizzle, no whipped cream. As he put it, “The research has studied black coffee specifically. You start to limit some of the metabolic and gut microbiome benefits once you turn it into a milkshake with lots of sugar, cream, etc.” Sorry, frappuccino lovers.
Rule 2: strict 2 pm cutoff
Don't touch it after 2pm. Caffeine has a half life of about 5 hours, so a 4pm coffee is still half in you at 9pm. So that 5 pm coffee you thought was innocent? It’s still affecting your system at bedtime.
Source:Hindustan Times