Coffee has a new benefit: protecting you from COVID-19 infection.
Starting your morning with a cup of coffee and having a few pick-me-ups throughout the day can lower your risk of getting sick with COVID-19, according to new research.
A study led by researchers from Northwestern University found that drinking one or more cups of coffee daily can lower the risk of getting sick with COVID-19 by 10%.
The article, published in the journal Nutrients, looked at several foods to see if there was a correlation between certain dietary habits and protection from getting sick with the coronavirus.
Researchers said they examined the dietary data of 40,000 British adults in the UK biobank, where they homed in on baseline diet factors such as daily intake of coffee, tea, oily fish, processed meat, red meat, fruit, and vegetables.
As the highly contagious Delta variant continues to threaten in the US, is it time to consider grabbing another cup of coffee?
Why coffee protects you from COVID-19
Beyond giving you a boost of caffeine, coffee has other benefits that can help your immune system.
Researchers noted that coffee is a major contributor to polyphenol intake, specifically phenolic acids, which are reducing agents that — when combined with vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids — can protect the body’s tissues from cancers, heart disease, and inflammation.
In additin, coffee has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and can lower the risk of pneumonia in older adults. Caffeine contains a bronchodilator drug called theophylline, which can open up airways in the lungs to help relieve symptoms and make breathing easier.
In short: coffee can help your immune system.
“Taken together, an immunoprotective effect of coffee against COVID-19 is plausible and merits further investigation,” researchers said.
Fruits and vegetables also help lower the risk of COVID-19 infection thanks to their anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. Processed meats like bacon and sausage, on the other hand, increase the risk of severe COVID-19 infection.
Coffee protects you from other illnesses too
A study conducted by the American Heart Association found that people who consumed at least three cups of coffee regularly reduced their risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack by a third, with each cup of coffee reducing the risk of a potential cardiovascular event by as much as 12%.
one of the worst cancers: prostate cancer.
Researchers in China declared that each additional cup of coffee someone drinks is associated with a 1% prostate cancer risk reduction. Men who regularly drink two to nine cups per day were 9% less likely to develop cancer compared to men who consumed zero to two cups daily.
Origen: Coffee can help reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection
