Many people drink coffee. But equally, many people don’t know the benefits of coffee pods, especially for the skin. Why? You ask. It may just be because it is a little unusual. You are unlikely to go the coffee pods route if you need a skin treatment.
Asides the kick it gives in the hazy mornings, coffee made from pods come with many advantages. In this article, we will explore what exactly makes those pods so good. We’ll also show how to get the best from the coffee for your skin and your general wellbeing.
Are Coffee Pods Dangerous?
The simple answer to this is no. Coffee pods are generally safe to consume. Some studies show coffee drinkers are at less risk of cardiovascular disease. Parkinson’s disease and diabetes occur less to people who drink coffee made from these pods. Also, people who drink coffee report clearer, glowing skin.
As with anything though, too much of it may not be the best for you. Drinking up to 4 cups of coffee may be detrimental. Any less, you will enjoy its beneficial effects. The potentially harmful effects do not come from the coffee pods, but what you add before drinking it. The sugars and fats are the substances you should be careful of and consume moderately.
Pros of Coffee Pods for Your Skin
So let’s get down to the benefits of coffee pods for your skin. The keyword here is antioxidant! Coffee pods have excellent antioxidant properties, which account for the beneficial effects on the skin.
It is essential to remember coffee is a plant. Therefore, it has several phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are simply chemicals found in plants. The phytochemicals in coffee are responsible for the antioxidant action.
What does an antioxidant do?
The many reactions going on in your body leads to the production of free radicals. These free radicals are generally harmful substances that can cause damage. Antioxidants protect the body from damage from free radicals.
Your skin is also a candidate for damage caused by these free radicals. They attack the lipids, which make your skin wrinkle. Antioxidants oppose this effect and make the skin look taut and healthy. They also fight premature ageing. Furthermore, they have potent anti-inflammatory actions to prevent skin inflammation.
What exactly is in those coffee pods?
The most common compound found in coffee is chlorogenic acid. Besides these, there are other compounds responsible for the antioxidant actions. These include caffeine, ferulic acid, eugenol, caffeic acid, and many others.
Related article: When is the Best Time to Drink Coffee Made From Coffee Pods
We will explore how some of the compounds affect the skin to make it healthier.
Caffeine
We cannot discuss the benefits of coffee pods without discussing its most popular constituent. Besides the kick to help get started in the mornings, caffeine also offers advantages for your skin.
Caffeine stops DNA damage in your body cells by blocking some enzymes. Essentially, it reduces the multiplication of these cells. If cells multiply excessively, there will be more dead skin cells with possible skin cell damage.
Ingesting caffeine prevents these ugly effects. Furthermore, reducing cell multiplication reduces the chances of developing skin cancer. Caffeine also promotes blood circulation and makes your skin glow.
Caffeic and ferulic acid
The sun’s rays comprise ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This type of radiation may cause sunburn, uneven skin tone, ageing skin, and skin cancer.
There is evidence linking caffeic acid and ferulic acid to the prevention of damage by UV radiation. A combination of these acids found in coffee pods opposes nitric oxide, which is a free radical.
The best way to achieve this effect is to apply the compounds topically. This may be the idea behind making coffee pastes or scrubs for application on the face.
Flavonoids
A flavonoid is another compound that showcases the benefits of coffee pods. You might not have wholly embraced the idea of putting coffee on your face. But the practice is already gaining ground.
You get the best effects of flavonoids only when you apply the coffee directly to your face. Ingesting it will produce only mild results.
Some cosmetic companies tout the anti-inflammatory effects of flavonoids, protecting skin against damage. This time, the culprits are air pollution and sun damage, which form those nasty free radicals.
Other beneficial phytochemicals found in coffee pods include eugenol and gamma-tocopherol.
General benefits of coffee pods on the skin
Since we examined some of the individual phytochemicals responsible, we can now explore the general benefits. Take a minute to imagine the different chemicals working together. The results can be enormously beautiful.
Cellulite reduction
Coffee pods may help to reduce the appearance of cellulite in the skin. The coffee will cause a dilation of the blood vessels under the skin, increasing the blood flow. The cellulite can then start to disappear.
There are reports of topical agents with caffeine sold for this purpose, amongst others. If you have stubborn cellulite on your body, you know what to do. Buy coffee pods, make it into a paste, and use the treatment.
Acne treatment
Acne occurs when dead skin cells and other contaminants block the pores on your skin. The blockage prevents sebum, which your skin produces, from flowing naturally. It then gets stuck in the pores inside the skin.
The clogged pores can get infected by bacteria, and inflammation follows. As discussed, some of the components in coffee pod constituents have anti-inflammatory activity. The chlorogenic acid has both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity. Coffee also has an exfoliating property. Scrubbing your face with it helps to unclog pores and keep it smooth.
Protection from the sun
This is one crucial benefit of coffee pods. As mentioned earlier, the sun’s UV rays can get very damaging to the skin. However, thanks to the polyphenols in coffee pods, you may yet escape the worst of it. The antioxidant properties kick in to prevent sunburns and any other effect.
You can get these effects from merely drinking coffee. Alternatively, if you want a targeted approach, you may apply it as a mask or scrub.
Anti-ageing function
Because of the earlier stated actions, coffee pods help to prevent premature ageing. Sunspots, redness, and some wrinkle lines may cause you to look older. These quickly disappear with coffee treatment.
Dark circles and puffy eyes
Definitely, these two conditions do no good for your looks. Thankfully, coffee works to dilate blood vessels and stimulate blood flow.
The resultant effect is a tightening of the skin. The skin then looks lighter. Also, it removes any fluid buildup which causes the puffiness. Finally, the anti-inflammatory constituents take care of inflammation if there is any.
Your feet need care too
Coffee pods can be handy for softening and smoothening the skin on your feet. Getting the dead skin off is only a day’s work for coffee. Also, your feet will benefit from the increased blood circulation going on in your body.
Other Benefits of Coffee Pods
Asides the incredible effects they have on the skin, coffee pods improve your general wellbeing. You may have realized you have a little difficulty functioning without your morning cup of coffee. It may be more than the perk up you get.
Coffee pods may make you happier
Researchers investigated the relationship between drinking coffee and depression. The results indicated an up to 10% reduction in the chances of being depressed.
The substance fingered as responsible for this is caffeine. However, a similar effect did not appear with caffeinated soft drinks. The working theory is the presence of antioxidants, which also help to fight depression.
Coffee pods may make you smarter
Among the effects of caffeine is stimulating the release of some hormones in the body. Dopamine, a hormone involved in pleasure and motivation, gets released when you ingest caffeine,
Another signalling molecule is adenosine, which promotes sleep and suppresses arousal. When you drink coffee, the release of this molecule is blocked. It is what gives the kick and makes you alert. These actions work together to improve your cognitive functions. You also have better memory and concentration on tasks.
Coffee pods are nutritive
Coffee pods are rich in the vitamins and minerals essential for normal body function. A cup of coffee is rich in vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B5. Also, it contains equal amounts of manganese and potassium, useful minerals to promote wellbeing.
Coffee pods are performance enhancers
Athletes sometimes use coffee pods to improve their performance. This, again, can be attributed to the caffeine content. Caffeine increases the rate of metabolism in your body. It also helps to break down fat from fatty tissues. The body then uses the fat as an alternate source of energy.
Some studies show caffeine enhances performance by up to 12%. They also estimate, for a 70kg person, 2 cups of coffee as ideal to improve performance.
The Final Take
Obviously, the benefits of coffee pods far outweigh any potential dangers. Therefore, you have a whole lot to gain and nothing to lose when you buy coffee pods in Canada.
Invigo Coffee is home to an online store where we have different types and flavours of coffee pods. Our products are top of the line selection in quality. Look through our online store to buy the best coffee pods in Canada.
Related article: Why Are Coffee Pods Growing In Popularity?
