Could this Morning Beverage be an Effective Pain-Reliever?

We already know that coffee has great benefits where focus and energy levels are concerned, but new research says that it can also reduce pain. A study from BMC Research Notes, indicates that coffee consumption can particularly help with pain related to sitting at a computer all day—exciting news for anyone who spends their day at a desk.

Many people couldn’t make it through one day at the office without coffee. And this new research gives them yet another reason to feel okay about their warm-beverage indulgence.

Study participants were given coffee before performing office tasks. Those who drank the coffee had less pain in the neck, shoulders, wrists, and forearms, when compared with those who didn’t have coffee before the tasks.

Researchers credited the caffeine with the benefits. But, Sayer Ji with GreenMedInfo.com suggests there may be more to it than that.

“In a previous post on coffee as both drug and medicine, we looked at the opiate-like properties of an oil-soluble component within both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee called cafestrol which likely acts as a pain-killer. Because the average cup of coffee contains five times the amount required to produce an opioid effect (as measured by ED50), it would appear that the pain-killing effect in coffee is not just about the caffeine.”

Caffeine does have its benefits, however, including the ability to increase focus and attention, boost mood, and even reduce the risk of depression. But, keep in mind, this is naturally occurring caffeine, not some blend created in a lab and put in a metal can.

Some research indicates coffee drinking could even extend your life and decrease your risk of certain types of cancer. Some other health benefits of coffee include:

• Decreased risk of Type 2 Diabetes
• Slowed progression and reduced risk of dementia
• Protection against atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)

Naturally occurring caffeine is also found in green tea, which has its own mega-list of benefits. So, when choosing your morning beverage, or really your anytime-of-day beverage, you have a few options for natural health and disease prevention.