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The Crazy Ways A Cup Of Coffee Really Affects Your Body

You may be in love with your morning coffee ritual, but have you ever wondered what this relationship is really about? Coffee and its principal stimulant, caffeine, can affect the body in a number of ways. Sure, you already know that it helps transform you from a miserable morning beast into a semi-decent member of human society — but what else is going on in there? Here are three surprising side effects of your coffee habit that affect your body, inside and out.

Sharpens Your Vision

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That morning fog that seems to loom everywhere before you hit your first cup o’ joe? You’re not imagining it. Caffeine stimulates adrenaline production — the same type of hormone used in fight or flight reactions used by our ancestors to escape predators. Your heart rate speeds up slightly, you become more alert, and your pupils dilate, all of which help you deal with that oncoming bear attack (or 8:00 a.m. meeting agenda).

Boosts Your Metabolism

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Coffee lovers have the brown stuff running through their veins — sort of. Caffeine increases the speed of blood flow throughout the body, which in turn helps deliver oxygen to muscles to help them work more efficiently. If you’re an athlete, caffeine might help you go longer, faster, or harder. If you’re a couch potato, your metabolism will get a boost even while you binge Netflix.

Makes You Poop

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In addition to stimulating a lot of other parts of your body, coffee can do a number on your intestines too, making you heed the call of nature perhaps sooner than expected. It’s not clear whether this side effect comes from the caffeine or the coffee itself, since researchers have found similar results with decaffeinated coffee drinkers, too. But hey, a little regularity never hurt anyone anyway!