In a shock to no one, least of all those of us who lap at the sweet teat of coffee every day, a new study has found a positive association between a.m. caffeine consumption and overall mood.
In a study from Bielefeld University in Germany and the University of Warwick in England, regular caffeine consumers immediately reported feeling happier and more enthusiastic after a cup of joe or another caffeinated beverage, a joy that lingered for 2.5 hours.
This bona fide bliss boost was more pronounced in the morning than later in the day, according to the study published this month in the journal Scientific Reports.
More minor effects were observed for feelings of overall contentment and reduced sadness.
“Around 80% of adults worldwide consume caffeinated beverages, and the use of such stimulating substances dates far back in human history,” said Bielefeld professor Sakari Lemola, the study’s senior author. “Even wild animals consume caffeine; bees and bumblebees prefer nectar from plants that contain caffeine.”
For the study, 236 young Germans were observed for a period of four weeks. Seven times per day, via their smartphones, these participants completed short questionnaires about their mood and their caffeine consumption in the 90 minutes prior.
Participants were in a markedly better mood on mornings when they had their fix versus other days at the same time when they had not yet been juiced up.
The team revealed that the mood-boosting effects of a.m. caffeine consumption are related to the stimulant’s effect on adenosine receptors.
“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,” said professor Anu Realo from the University of Warwick.
Existing research suggests that 75 milligrams of caffeine, roughly one cup of coffee, every four hours can result in a better mood throughout the day.
Experts generally recommend no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, around four cups of coffee.
In addition to feel-good feelings, coffee is filled with good-for-us antioxidants that may reduce internal inflammation and protect against chronic diseases, according to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Experts believe that the polyphenols in coffee may pass the blood-brain barrier, exert anti-neuroinflammatory effects and even promote neurogenesis, resulting in decreased risk of cognitive and affective disorders.
Research shows that regular coffee drinkers may be less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, Parkinson’ disease and even colorectal cancer.
Researchers in the new study explored whether caffeine’s effects varied between individuals, expecting that those with higher levels of anxiety would report negative mood changes after consuming caffeine.
“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,” said study author Justin Hachenberger from Bielefeld.
“The links between caffeine intake and positive or negative emotions were fairly consistent across all groups,” he added.
Hachenberger noted that all of the participants were habitual caffeine users.
Since caffeine is habit-forming, it is unclear if the positive feelings evoked in the new study are a reversal of withdrawal symptoms.
“Even people with moderate caffeine consumption can experience mild withdrawal symptoms that disappear with the first cup of coffee or tea in the morning,” said Realo.
Dependency is one of the downsides of caffeine, along with insomnia, heart palpitations and digestive issues.
As with all things, timing is everything — and a touch of delayed gratification is good for us.
Experts suggest that to keep the good feelings flowing, the golden window for your first coffee is 60 to 90 minutes after waking, as cortisol, our fight or flight hormone, has peaked and is gently declining, so caffeine won’t tip you over the edge.
