Is This Beloved Drink The Newest Anti-Aging Super Star?
If you are a regular coffee drinker, you are definitely going to want to hear this news. It turns out that drinking coffee regularly can actually prevent skin aging. All you need to do to get the benefits of this scientific find is to keep doing what you are already doing – enjoying your coffee daily.
What Is In Coffee That Can Keep Us Healthy?
Coffee is rich in antioxidants specifically polyphenols.
An antioxidant is a molecule that prevents another molecule from undergoing an oxidation process. This oxidation process produces free radicals which can then lead to disease in the body. While coffee has long had a reputation for being unhealthy, it turns out that coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the typical American diet.
In order to stay healthy and give your body a leg up on fighting disease, you need to have a diet rich in antioxidants. Coffee also provides other health benefits including helping to prevent heart disease and even some types of cancer. Of course all these health benefits are associated with black coffee, not coffee drinks that contain large amounts of added sugar or fat in the form of syrups and toppings. Keep in mind also that you should not drink tons and tons of coffee in order to get its health benefits. Research on the benefits of regular coffee drinking talks about drinking on average about 3 cups of coffee a day.
How Coffee Protects Our Skin
When it comes to our skin, free radicals cause skin aging and lead to fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots (hyperpigmentation).
One way to prevent free radical damage to our skin is to use an antioxidant serum during the day and to apply sunscreen diligently each morning and throughout the day.
Another way to prevent antioxidant damage to your skin is to eat your antioxidants, and this is where coffee comes into the picture.
Research has shown that women who drank an average of 3 cups of coffee a day had fewer age spots than women who drank less coffee. Furthermore, women who drank about 3 cups of coffee a day also had a lower risk of developing basal cell carcinomas which are precancerous skin cells.
All antioxidants are anti-inflammatory. Chronic skin inflammation makes the skin age faster, so any food or drinks that we consume on a regular basis that can protect our skin from inflammation is actually preventing premature skin aging. Your daily cup of coffee is helping your skin stay young so be sure to drink up and enjoy it.
Coffee In Skin Care Products
Another way to enjoy the skin benefits of coffee is to use or make skin care products that have coffee or coffee grounds in them. Coffee grounds, for instance, make a great scrub for your body. It turns out that the coffee has the same pH as our skin which means it will not dry out or damage our skin. Coffee grounds are also gentle when used for skin exfoliation as opposed to walnut shell grounds which can have sharp edges. Just be warned that this is very messy scrub so your shower will probably be dirty when you are done.
Make your own coffee scrub: combine about half a cup of coffee grounds (used are actually fine) with enough coconut or olive oil as needed to create a scrub. Massage into your skin and rinse thoroughly. Your skin will immediately feel smoother and look fresher.
You can also buy a scrub if going the DIY route is not for you.
Products to try: Deluge Organic Coffee Body Scrub, The Coffee Scrub, or Frank Body.