For many years the jury has been divided on the issue of coffee and health. From the old wives’ tales that hinted at a link between coffee consumption and stunted growth to more modern cautionary tales related to coffee as a diuretic that contributes to dehydration, we now have more information than ever that is related to the health benefits of coffee.

Scientists have long studied the amazing coffee bean, and more studies are performed all the time. Again, while many of these studies can appear contradictory, the fact remains that coffee is a complex plant and its seeds contain hundreds of compounds that can have an effect on the human body. The vast majority of these effects are positive and it’s worth noting that scientists and researchers have been able to isolate some of these compounds and learn more about their effect on various diseases and body systems.

If you love drinking an exceptional coffee like Finca Deborah’s Panama Geisha, read on to learn more about how the same factors that contribute to that exceptionally nuanced taste can also have a very positive impact on your physical and mental health.

Coffee and Increased Mental Health

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health undertook a large-scale study aimed at targeting the effect of caffeine consumption on mental health. While their focus was mainly on the link between caffeine and lowered risk of suicide among participants, their findings may have implications across the board.

Their conclusions indicated that the caffeine found in coffee may affect the body in the same way that a mild antidepressant would. Caffeine stimulates the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and higher levels of these brain chemicals are linked to a more positive mental outlook.

While it can be difficult to study human feelings and emotions, some research indicates that the act of drinking a shade grown, minimally processed, coffee like Finca Deborah Panama Geisha can result in a more positive experience for the drinker. This is simply due to the fact that when we consume something that adheres to our principals we actually feel better.

Coffee and Liver Disease

A 2006 study that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that coffee consumption can have a positive impact on liver health. The study followed a group of individuals who drank alcohol and coffee, and those who drank alcohol alone. Among the group several participants developed alcoholic liver cirrhosis, but among those who consumed coffee as well, the risk of cirrhosis was reduced by up to 22%.

Tea drinkers were not afforded the same benefits, which indicated that caffeine was not responsible for the reduced risk of liver damage, but rather one of the many compounds found in coffee itself.

Coffee and Antioxidants

Antioxidants are compounds that are found in fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants can prevent or inhibit damage to cells in a living organism. Antioxidants have been found to have a positive impact on everything from heart disease to premature aging in humans. While these antioxidants can be gained from a wide variety of foods, Americans get the highest number of these compounds from coffee.

Dates came out on top as the food with the highest level of antioxidants per serving size, yet since most Americans don’t eat enough of the fruit to allow for a positive health impact, coffee is the clear winner in the antioxidant race.

Coffee and Diabetes

A 2012 study undertaken by researchers in China sought to discover why coffee drinkers have a lowered risk of Type 2 diabetes, which is fast becoming a major threat to human health worldwide. Type 2 diabetes is related to a specific peptide found in humans, and the Chinese scientists sought to ascertain whether compounds in coffee could block this peptide’s production.

The results were encouraging and found that those people who drank four or more cups of coffee per day were up to 50% less likely to develop the potentially deadly disease. Additionally, for each additional cup of coffee consumed the risk was lowered by another 7%.

In a time when much of our food is heavily processed and laden with harmful chemicals, it’s refreshing to learn more about how the humble coffee bean in its purest form can contribute to better health and well being. The next time that you reach for your cup of naturally grown and processed Finca Deborah Geisha remind yourself that the wonderfully full-bodied taste can also help make you healthier.