Unexpected ways a daily coffee habit may affect brain and mood, study finds
What the researchers studied
The study included 62 healthy adults: 31 regular coffee drinkers and 31 people who did not drink coffee. The regular drinkers typically consumed three to five cups daily.
The coffee drinkers stopped drinking coffee for two weeks and then were assigned to resume with either caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee for three weeks. The report does not specify how the non-coffee-drinking group was involved in that phase.
Mood and gut findings
Both kinds of coffee were associated with changes in gut microbes and some measures of mood, according to the study. Participants who drank caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee self-reported lower stress, depression and impulsivity.
These results describe reported changes among study participants. The article does not provide details about the size of those changes or whether they lasted beyond the study period.
Cognition remains uncertain
Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee also appeared to have different effects on cognition, though the report does not detail those differences. Rebecca A. Steele, a New York-based neuropsychologist, discussed what scientists know about caffeine and cognition.
Steele noted that short-term improvements in focus do not necessarily lead to lasting neurological benefits. The small study offers findings about coffee and mood, but the reported results do not show that coffee produces long-term improvements in brain health.
Key points
- The study involved 62 healthy adults, including 31 regular coffee drinkers and 31 non-drinkers.
- Participants reported lower stress, depression and impulsivity while drinking coffee.
- Short-term gains in focus do not necessarily mean lasting neurological benefits.