Living in Italy for 8 years really brainwashes you into enjoying 8 espressos a day without even blinking. But what are the true effects on the body and how can we counter-parry? Through published articles, here are some of the benefits and repercussions of one of my favorite pastimes - and still will be.
Decrease skin cancer risk
A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that drinking lots of coffee is linked to a reduced rate of developing cancerous melanoma. In the 10-year study, researchers followed the dietary habits of nearly 450,000 individuals and what they found was those with a coffee intake of more than four cups per day had a 20% lower risk of malignant melanoma compared to non-coffee drinkers. These results are preliminary, though.
Stress increase
Breakouts are common when things are particularly stressful at work. The hormone, cortisol, that gets released and triggers acne as it makes your body pump out insulin This causes your skin to produce more oil, over-produce new skin, and increase inflammation. In a study, researchers found a 211% increase in cortisol levels in people who drank a cup of coffee before going through a stressful event versus those who didn’t drink coffee.
In short, coffee increases stress levels which can cause your body to overproduce insulin. Not good you’re already struggling with acne.
Hydration and Dehydration
Coffee has caffeine, which is a diuretic and therefore dehydrating - But is it really tough? There have been many recent studies to show that caffeine is a very mild diuretic. Ten studies at the University of Connecticut found that 12 out of 15 cases showed that people went to the bathroom the same amount, regardless of whether or not the water they drank had caffeine in it. The study even claimed that there was no difference between men who consumed coffee versus water.
Even if it’s still up for debate, there’s an easy solution for those worried their coffee habit is dehydrating their skin—just drink more water.
Can make Acne worse
Depending on what you add to your coffee; these can cause acne flare-ups. Milk contains an abundance of growth hormones that can cause inflammation in your body and eventually lead to acne. Sugar, on the other hand, can cause insulin spikes and make your skin produce excess sebum which can cause acne. So, if you already struggle with acne, you may want to take your coffee black.
High in Antioxidants
In 2005 a study claimed that coffee was the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. We all know that eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help improve your skin health, but research into the actual process of how antioxidants are absorbed and utilized in the body is ongoing. We do know this: Antioxidants fight free radicals, and free radicals cause rapid aging. Thus, antioxidants should help fight aging—though you might just be better off applying topically (we suggest this Recovery Face Scrub).