Caffeine Myth No. 8: Caffeine Has No Health BenefitsCaffeine has few proven health benefits. But the list of caffeine's potential benefits is interesting. Any regular coffee drinker may tell you that caffeine improves alertness, concentration, energy, clear-headedness, and feelings of sociability. You might even be the type who needs that first cup o' Joe each morning before you say a single word. Scientific studies support these subjective findings. One French study even showed a slower decline in cognitive ability among women who consumed caffeine.
Other possible benefits include helping certain types of headache pain. Some people's asthma also appears to benefit from caffeine. These research findings are intriguing, but still need to be proven.
Limited evidence suggests caffeine may also reduce the risk of the following:
- Parkinson's disease
- liver disease
- colorectal cancer
- type 2 diabetes
- dementia