Drinking a cup of coffee is often the first thing people do in the mornings. Coffee helps keep the mind alert and wakes you so you can concentrate on the day’s tasks. Whether you enjoy a steaming hot cup of espresso or prefer an iced latte, you’re experiencing additional health benefits. In addition to improving your concentration, coffee can also protect your mind and brain. Here are five health benefits of drinking coffee:

1. Protects the liver
Coffee can help reduce the risk of liver cancer. Regular coffee consumption is connected to lower cases of cirrhosis, particularly alcoholic cirrhosis. One study from the Archives of Internal Medicine revealed that there is an inverse relationship between higher coffee consumption and a lower risk of cirrhosis. There was a 20% reduction for every cup of coffee a person consumes.

Students have also proven that regular and decaf coffee is effective for protecting the liver. Research indicates that people who drink coffee usually have healthy liver enzyme levels compared to non-coffee drinkers.

2. Lowers type 2 diabetes risk
More research is emerging that suggests a connection between drinking coffee and lowering the risk of diabetes. A study from 2009 asserts that the tendency to develop diabetes was reduced by 7% for every daily serving of coffee. Epidemiological research also indicates that people who drink more than four cups of coffee a day had a 50% lower risk of getting diabetes than those who drank less than four cups of coffee or no coffee.

3. Safeguards against Alzheimer’s disease
Coffee lowers Alzheimer’s disease risk, which is another reason why a cup of joe in the morning is a great choice for people who have a family history of this disease. Nearly two-thirds of people with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. are women. The caffeine contained in two cups of coffee can offer protection for the brain. According to research, women over the age of 65 who consumed two or three cups of coffee a day had a reduced risk of dementia. Drinking coffee regularly can also prevent cognitive decline, which is often a precursor for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. A Finnish study asserts that consuming between three and five cups of coffee a day during midlife can provide a 65% decreased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s in later years. Finnish researchers also studied tea for this benefit but didn’t find a correlation.

4. Protects against Parkinson’s
Caffeine is effective for lowering the chance of Parkinson’s disease, and can also assist people with Parkinson’s in controlling the movement of their limbs. Drinking coffee regularly provides a 30% risk reduction in developing Parkinson’s. Most experts say three cups a day is ideal for Parkinson’s prevention.

5. Reduces the risk of heart disease
A Dutch research study that explored information from over 37,000 individuals over a 13-year period, revealed that people who drink two to four cups of coffee a day lowered their risk of heart disease by 20% compared to those who drank more than four cups, less than two cups, or no coffee at all.

If coffee is one of the ways you start your day, you may be even more motivated to consume coffee once you see all the health benefits of this rich, caffeinated beverage. Here’s to your health!