It is hard to imagine a day without a cup of coffee, especially for coffee lovers.

Those who are into it admit that there is something incredibly soothing about this brew and that it's one of the drink that helps them stays alert throughout the day.

A hot cup of coffee is all we need in the morning to get energy and focus on our work. Coffee contains caffeine that wakes us up and makes us energized.

There are several variations for coffee like the latte, espresso, iced coffee, mocha, and cappuccino, among others.

Some might ask, is drinking coffee good for your health? Well, the good news to coffee lovers is that apart from just being a strong drink, it also comes with health benefits.

In fact, you could be getting more from your favorite morning beverage than you thought, with just one cup of coffee.

Coffee may help guard against conditions more common in women, including Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease among others.

Dr. Alex Mucumbitsi, the head of the nutrition and hygiene department at the National Early Childhood Development Program says when it comes to coffee, caffeine is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about it.

He says in addition to this, coffee also contains antioxidants and other active substances that may reduce internal inflammation and protect against disease.

"Your regular cup of coffee maybe be doing more than just providing you with energy as it comes with other health benefits, taking it can stand to be healthier for you than you ever knew,” he says.

Benefits

Aimable Niyonsenga, an entrepreneur making cakes and coffee at Gismenti, says coffee is always one of his favorite energy drinks as someone who is into sports.

He says he loves taking it early in the morning and it enhances his entire performance.

Mucumbitsi says although will keep caffeine has been known as a dehydrating agent, recent studies have shown that as much as caffeine can stimulate dehydration, moderate consumption of coffee does not dehydrate those who love sports.

On the contrary, he says coffee assists in combating physical fatigue thus allowing one a higher endurance while working out.

Besides, he says it also provides a short-term memory boost.

Aside from its warm (or cold) sensation and its stimulating effects, coffee proves to be an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.

Niyonsenga says that from his experience as a coffee maker, it has been known that coffee helps lower the risk of some non-communicable diseases.

This, he says is that it has been linked to its rich in nutritious antioxidants, as it helps one prevent them from developing various diseases that ultimately help you live a longer life.

On the other hand, there is an association between taking coffee and a decreased risk of diabetes. And this is mostly because it has been recently proven that the danger of suffering from diabetes drops by seven per cent for every cup of coffee down.

Caution

Mucumbitsi says although drinking coffee has some health benefits, people often tend to add unnecessary things to it such as artificial sweeteners, flavored syrup, and sugar among others, which he says are all bad for our health as they also ruin the goodness of coffee.

Also, cutting down your caffeine consumption is essential according to nutritionists, especially in the early afternoon

to avoid sleeping problems.

Also, it’s also important to note that sugar is not a required nutrient for your diet though it can be enjoyed in moderation.