If there’s one thing I know for sure it’s that I could not live without my morning coffee. If it’s not for the fact that it wakes me up for my dreadful 8ams, it has to be for the smooth, rich taste. Not a day goes by where I don’t have at least one cup. I’m a proud coffee lover and here’s why you should be too.

Starting your day off with a cup of coffee not only starts the day in the right direction, but it provides a well needed energy boost for any busy day. As we all know, that morning kick start to the day is favorably caused by a delicious blend of roasted coffee beans in which contains caffeine. Caffeine, which indeed can be addictive, is a stimulant that affects our nervous system. This is what gets our gears grinding early in the morning and makes those morning classes a bit more bearable. If it’s not for the kickstart to the day, it’s unwittingly the list of health benefits that coincides with our morning brew. Researchers such as Dr. Carlo La Vecchia of Milan's Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri have found that coffee consumption lowers the risk of liver cancer by about 40%. Not only does it lower the risks of liver cancer, but it even reduces the risks of other liver diseases such as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

A simple cup of joe not only puts you in a good mood, but it makes your body happy too. We can thank coffee for it’s great liver support as well as Time Magazine reported that coffee is also linked to lower rates of heart disease, early death and diseases like liver cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes and even neurological conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. But the list doesn’t stop there; there’s other benefits such as lowering your risk of depression, burning fat, short-term memory boost, and a great source of healthful antioxidants all found in our morning perk.

Now, adding 5 spoonfuls of sugar or splenda along with ½ cup of sugary creamer completely diminishes everything we just celebrated above. Drinking black coffee is recommended to obtain the most benefits however almond milk, soy milk, or even skim milk can be a much healthier alternative. If you are one of those “extra extra” coffee drinkers, I recommend trying to reduce the amount of add-ins. The key is to do this slowly if you can’t stop all at once because trust me, I’ve been there. Gradually you’ll acquire a special taste for coffee without the harmful flavor enhancers but until then, keep enjoying your special blend and if you don’t drink coffee, give it try!