Top 25+ Caffeine Health Benefits

Caffeine is the most widely used substance on the planet and it is also one of the most researched in regards to how it affects the human body.

We’ve dug through many of those scientific studies and compiled a list of the possible caffeine health benefits people may experience from using caffeine.

27 Possible Caffeine Health Benefits

1. In Japan, researchers have shown that caffeine increases memory. Also, a newer study out of Johns Hopkins University showed that a 200 mg caffeine pill helped boost memory consolidation.
2. Caffeine mixed with carbs replenishes muscle glycogen concentrations faster after exercise.
3. Caffeine before exercise increases fat burn. “Compared to the placebo, caffeine increased fat oxidation by 10.7% in the morning and 29% in the afternoon. Caffeine also increased exercise intensity by 11% in the morning and 13% in the afternoon. The maximum oxygen uptake was also higher in the afternoon“, Reported WebMd about a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 
4. Caffeine detoxes the liver and cleanses the colon when taken as a caffeine enema.
5. Caffeine helps keep you alert while driving during periods of sleep restriction. Here’s the research. However, research has also shown that truck drivers that use the most caffeine have more accidents. Caffeine isn’t a long-term solution for lack of sleep.
6. Caffeine can stimulate hair growth for balding men and women.
7. Caffeine relieves post-workout muscle pain by up to 48%.
8. Caffeine relieves pain associated with sleep loss better than analgesics.  The study.
9. Caffeine may protect against Parkinson’s disease. Research shows that those who consume coffee are at less risk of developing Parkison’s disease and it even reduces the risk of those genetically more likely to develop the condition. Here’s the study. Another study also supported the notion that caffeine has protective benefits. Here’s this study’s summary.
10. Caffeine may help ward off Alzheimer’s.
11. Caffeine increases stamina during exercise.
12. Caffeine through coffee may protect against eyelid spasm.
13. Caffeine may protect against Cataracts.
14. Caffeine may prevent skin cancer. A new study out of Rutgers University found that caffeine prevented skin cancer in hairless mice. Another study showed that caffeinated coffee drinkers have less risk of developing melanoma.
15. People who consume caffeine have a lower risk of suicide. Src.
16. Caffeine may reduce fatty liver in those with non-alcohol related fatty liver disease. This study comes out of Duke University.
17. Caffeine is shown to reduce liver fibrosis risk in patients with hepatitis C. As little as 100 mg per day is believed to have protective benefits. Src.
18. Caffeine-consuming men showed increased semen volume and significantly less sperm DNA fragmentation than non-caffeine consuming men. Src.
19. Men who consume 250-375 mg of caffeine per day have a much lower risk of developing ED (erectile dysfunction). The reduced risk was even observed among men consuming as little as 85 mg of caffeine daily. This research was conducted by The University of Texas Medical School. Src.
20. Caffeine may prevent ringing in the ears (tinnitus) in women: A study published in The American Journal of Medicine followed a group of 65,085 nurses since 1991. The women who consumed the most caffeine had the lowest incidences of tinnitus reported. Src.
21. Caffeine Reduces Kidney Stone Risk. In a large 217,883 person study, those that consumed caffeine from any source had less kidney stone formation than those that did not consume caffeine. The researchers believe that this is because caffeine makes the urine more dilute. Src. Caffeine has also been shown to reduce the mortality rate in those with chronic kidney disease. Caffeine appears to have a protective effect on the progression of the disease. Here’s the study. Another study (2018) also confirmed that caffeine consumption reduces the mortality rate for those living with kidney disease. Study link.
22. Caffeine improves reaction time and logical reasoning during times when sleep isn’t possible or restricted. See the study here.
23. Caffeine helps those with asthma. A study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine concluded that caffeine seems to open airways and help asthmatics breathe easier similar to theophylline a drug currently used and one that’s a close cousin to caffeine. The study.
24. Reduces driver error: A recent study conducted by the Australian Department of Defence found that caffeine consumption improves driving performance and reduces driver error. Caffeinated gum was used in the study on soldiers that had been sleep-deprived for 50 hours.
25. Caffeine may prevent weight gain: Research out of Germany showed that weight loss study participants who drank 2-4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day were more likely to be successful at keeping the weight off than those who did not consume caffeine. The study. Another study showed that caffeine stimulates brown fat cells causing them to burn more calories. This increases the overall metabolic rate. Study link   Another 2019 study conducted on rats showed that rats given a dose of caffeine equivalent to 4 cups of coffee a day gained 22% less body fat than rats given no caffeine but fed the same high fat, high sugar diet.
26. Caffeine reduces chronic inflammation. Researchers from Stanford University found that caffeine blocks the expression of a gene responsible for low-grade chronic inflammation as we age. This inflammation eventually leads to high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, and heart disease. Caffeine seems to help reduce this age-related inflammation in those that are regular consumers of the drug.
27. Caffeine is good for the heart. A study out of Germany found that the amount of caffeine typically in 4 cups of coffee daily helps strengthen heart muscle cell function and prolongs the life of heart muscle cells. You can read the study’s abstract here.
28. Caffeine helps premature infants: A few doses of caffeine given to premature babies drastically improves lung function and overall survival rate. Newer research found that this therapy produces no long-term side effects as the children age.  Src.

There can be negative health consequences from consuming too much caffeine, so don’t go too crazy. Also, some of the benefits of caffeine have only been researched within the context of caffeinated coffee.

Here are some further health benefits when the caffeine is consumed via coffee. It is also interesting that some of these benefits didn’t carry over to those that drank decaffeinated coffee.

Caffeinated Coffee Health Benefits

1. Caffeinated coffee cuts mouth and throat cancer risk by 50%.
2. Coffee can reduce the risk of stroke by as much as 22%.
3. Shown to reduce the risk of several types of cancer.
4. Heart rhythm disturbance hospitalizations decrease with coffee drinkers.
5. Coffee decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
6. People who drink at least 4 coffees or teas have lower blood pressure according to a new study out of Paris. Tea drinkers had the most blood pressure benefit, while coffee drinkers had just slightly less.
7. Research out of Greece shows that Greek boiled coffee may increase longevity and heart health.
8. Those who drink coffee after a heart attack are less likely to die from the incident. Research shows that heart attack victims who consume more than 2 cups of coffee daily have the least risk of mortality from the heart attack.

While this list might seem like a green light for caffeine consumption, it does come with a few caveats. In most cases, caffeine’s health benefits were realized by those who consumed moderate coffee/caffeine amounts. Also in some of the studies above, the caffeine was concentrated and applied directly to the body area being researched, i.e. cataracts and baldness, etc.. Therefore, dietary caffeine would not produce the same results.

The British Medical Journal published a study that reviewed 201 studies concerning coffee and caffeine. The researchers concluded that based on all evidence to date, the health benefits of consuming coffee outweigh any risk involved.

We can conclude that caffeine consumed via natural sources is probably the best since many of the health benefits of caffeine are probably largely due to the high antioxidant levels found in regular coffee and tea.

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