The best time coffee to drink coffee for a mood boost |
What’s your favourite beverage? For millions of people, it’s coffee. Many would agree that there is nothing a cup of coffee cannot solve! Drinking coffee is linked with numerous health benefits; however, most of us consume it to lift our spirits. Coffee does improve mood, but which is the best time to drink it?A recent study by researchers from Bielefeld University and the University of Warwick found the best time to drink coffee to lift mood. The findings of the study are published in Nature.
Coffee makes you happier, but when you drink it really matters
Coffee is known for its stimulant effects on the central nervous system, leading to improved cognitive performance and changes in affective states. Though coffee has been extensively studied in laboratory settings, its effect in everyday life has been comparatively less explored. To understand the effects of coffee on day-to-day life, the researchers tracked the behaviour and mood of 236 young adults over four weeks. These participants were given questionnaires on their smartphones seven times a day. They were asked to report their current mood and whether they had consumed a caffeinated drink in the preceding 90 minutes. They also investigated if coffee has different effects on different individuals. “We were somewhat surprised to find no differences between individuals with varying levels of caffeine consumption or differing degrees of depressive symptoms, anxiety, or sleep problems. The links between caffeine intake and positive or negative emotions were fairly consistent across all groups,” Justin Hachenberger from Bielefeld University in Germany said, in a release.
The researchers expected that when people with higher levels of anxiety consumed coffee, they would experience negative mood changes, such as increased nervousness. However, that wasn’t the case. The researchers found that people who regularly consume caffeine are usually in a better mood after a cup of coffee or another caffeinated drink. These effects were much more pronounced in the morning than later in the day.
How caffeine improves mood in the morning
The researchers explained that the mood-boosting effect of caffeine kicks in the morning, because of its ability to block adenosine receptors, which promotes wakefulness and makes people feel more energetic. “Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors, which can increase dopamine activity in key brain regions—an effect that studies have linked to improved mood and greater alertness. Yet, it remains unclear whether these effects are related to a reduction in withdrawal symptoms after a night’s sleep. Even people with moderate caffeine consumption can experience mild withdrawal symptoms that disappear with the first cup of coffee or tea in the morning,” Professor Anu Realo from the University of Warwick added.
The habit of drinking coffee to feel happy and more awake goes back centuries. “Around 80 per cent of adults worldwide consume caffeinated beverages, and the use of such stimulating substances dates far back in human history. Even wild animals consume caffeine; bees and bumblebees prefer nectar from plants that contain caffeine,” Professor Sakari Lemola from Bielefeld University, the study’s senior author, said. Though coffee boosts your mood, the researchers cautioned that caffeine can lead to dependence. Not just that, excessive caffeine consumption is also associated with various health risks. Caffeine intake, later in the day, can also lead to sleep problems.
