Things I Like Thursday – The Benefits of Coffee

It probably comes as no surprise that coffee would make my list of ‘tops’. But are you even aware of how versatile this little bean is?

Let’s begin with the essentials

Espresso Coffee for Drinking

1.  Coffee can improve your cognitive ability as well as reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimers. Drinking more than three cups of caffeinated coffee can also reduce skin-cancer, for woman 20% and men 9%.

2. Caffeine can positively affect the brain as it modulates the release of mood transmitters. A Harvard study found that women who drink a few cups of caffeinated coffee daily, will have a lower risk of depression than women who do not drink any coffee.

3. Good news for men too. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute released a study suggesting that drinking as little as one to three cups of coffee a day could reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 30%.

4. And a study in the archive of internal medicine showed that drinking coffee, decafe or even tea can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7%.

How does the saying go? “In moderation”. And drinking too much coffee can definitely have its negative effects as well. It can cause irregular heartbeats and heart palpitations, keep you up at night or in the bathroom all day, and it can be additive, stain your teeth and in some cases it’s very expensive too. Coffee can also be fattening if you’re a ‘mocha with cream, two-sugars and caramel’ kind-of person. So 3 cups of coffee a day is fine but 10 is overboard.

Using Used Grinds Around the House

Okay okay so what else can you do with coffee, especially those grinds?

5. Use them as a deodorizer.  Allow them to dry then put them in a glass jar in the refrigerator or bathroom to remove unwanted smells.

6. Used grinds are great in the compost as they deter ants but are yummy to rose bushes, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreen and camellias which prefer acidic soils.

7. Because grinds are slightly abrasive, they are a perfect natural scourer. Clean pots and pans with a sponge and some used coffee grinds to remove tough baked on grim, or in the bathroom to clean… um…the bathroom.

8. I was elated to discover that cats dislike coffee grinds. Mixed with some orange peel (it is such a pleasant smell) you can deter your kittens from regions of your house. For me, it’s my herb garden.  

Coffee in the Bathroom?

9. Recall used grinds being abrasive? You can mix the grinds with your daily facial wash for a special exfoliate. Use gently to remove dead skin cells and leave your skin smooth.

10. This last one I read about but have not tried myself – Coffee Grinds as a cellulite reducer. 1/4 cup of grinds mixed with warm water and applied to the troubled area, then wrapped in shrink wrap for several minutes, will supposedly help the appearance of cellulite. It’s much cheaper than other products on the market so worth a try.