is usually linked to increased alertness. But a new study shows coffee also fights stress effectively and helps lower the risk of anxiety and depression. The researchers also identified the optimal dose of this aromatic drink to get the best effect.
What the researchers discovered
Researchers at Fudan University analyzed earlier studies to determine whether drinking coffee can protect people from and mood disorders.
The team examined a huge dataset from the UK Biobank covering 461,586 people of both sexes and various ages. All of the participants had good mental health at the start of the study, which lasted more than 13.4 years. During that period they reported how much coffee they drank each day, and the researchers compared those reports with changes in the participants’ mental health measures.
To test whether coffee itself played a decisive role in preventing mental problems, the researchers carefully controlled for many confounding factors, such as age, education, , and existing medical conditions in the participants.
Ultimately, statistical analysis showed that people who drank two to three cups of coffee per day had the lowest likelihood of developing mental health problems compared with those who drank no coffee or more than three cups.
Drinking five or more cups of coffee per day was associated with an increased risk of mood disorders.
In a paper published on ScienceDirect, the team stated that moderate coffee consumption may benefit mental health. The optimal daily dose for reducing anxiety and stress was the same across all types of coffee — ground, instant, and even decaf. The mental-health benefit from drinking coffee was stronger in men.
Researchers shed new light on treating mental disorders
Coffee contains many biologically active compounds. Some of those compounds positively affect neural circuits in the brain that are linked to mood and stress.
“Previous studies that examined the link between coffee consumption and mental health, including depression and anxiety, produced conflicting results about the optimal daily dose,” the team wrote. Now they have finally identified that dose.
Earlier research connected coffee consumption with longer lifespan, protection against cardiovascular disease, and weight regulation. So coffee has mostly been associated with a range of physical health benefits. The team has now added mental-health benefits to that list.
This finding matters given the prevalence of mental disorders in today’s world and the urgent need to develop new treatments and preventive measures to fight stress and anxiety. A simple approach like two to three cups of coffee a day could help millions of people.
