7 coffee facts you need to know now

7 coffee facts you need to know now7 coffee facts you need to know nowIt seems like every day there is a new study telling us either that coffee is slowly killing us, making us healthier, making us smarter, making us dumber, helping us grow wings, etc., However there are a number of studies that have come out recently that reveal some very interesting facts about your daily cup of joe. In honor of National Coffee Day, this Saturday, check out these 7 facts about coffee.It can make everyone you work with so much more appealingA recent study that appears in theJournal of Psychopharmacologyfinds that if you have coffee before a conversation it will actually make you focus better and feel better about the people you are talking to.The study was conducted using people who consume coffee regularly, said study author Vasu Unnava. For these people, it looks like coffee does make them feel more alert, focuses their thinking on the topic or task at hand, and has them participate more in group tasks. So, if you are a coffee drinker, it looks like coffee helps you do better in group tasks.The ideal time to drink coffee is actually four hours after you wake upThough many of us can only get out of bed on the grund of knowing that a hot cup of coffee will be running through our bloodstreams within the hour, that is not actually when you should drink it if you want to maximize the benefits of caffeine. According toLaura Cipullo, registereddietitian and author ofWomens Health Body Clock Diet, you should have your first cup about four hours after you wake up. You are actually naturally alert when you wake up (even though it doesnt feel like it) because your cortisol levels are high. So drinking caffeine on top that status is just going to make the drop even harder a few hours later.It will extend your lifespanIn a study of 9 million British male and female adults, coffee drinkers had a slightly lower risk of death over 10 years (10 to 15%) than those who didnt drink it regularly according tostudy, published in the journalJAMA Internal Medicine. Another study that took place over 10 years found that people who hadfour cups of coffee per day had a 64% lower risk of dying during the study than those who never drank it.It wont dehydrate youThough coffee gets a bad rap it will not dehydrate you Caffeine can keep you more hydrated than other liquids because you are usually drinking it with a volume of fluid like iced coffee or tea. A2014 study found that there was zero evidence of dehydratation with moderate daily coffee intake.It can help you lose weightAccording to a study out of the Netherlands, caffeine can increase your metabolic rate by as much as 11% and only three hours after you consume it.It helps with memoryIn addition to making you more alert, it can help you improve your memory according to a French study. But the best way to reap the memory benefits are by drinking it black (no sugar, creamer, etc.,) In addition to helping with memory it also can m ake you more intelligent, cleanse your gut, help your heart, improve your workouts, etc.It can fend off diseasesA new studyfrom the Simmons Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center found that consumption of coffee (both regular and decaf) is associated with a lower risk of developing colon cancer. Another study found that coffee can have some preventative qualities against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It can even fight against the onset of Parkinsons.