Author: Mark Velov
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Women who drink caffeinated beverages every day have a 15% lower risk of developing depression than irregular coffee drinkers.
Coffee-loving women are less at risk for depression , studies show.
It is not entirely clear how this effect occurs, but scientists say the caffeine in coffee changes the chemistry of the brain .
It turns out that decaffeinated coffee does not have the same benefits as caffeine for our mental health.
The findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine , are the result of a study of more than 50,000 women in the United States. The Harvard Medical School team has been monitoring their health for more than a decade, from 1996 to 2006, as well as the frequency of coffee consumption.
During this time, just over 2,600 of women develop depression. Most of them rarely consume coffee or do not drink the refreshing drink at all.
Women who consume coffee every day have a 15% lower risk of developing depression than women who drink one cup or less of coffee a week.
Regular coffee drinkers are more prone to smoking and alcohol use, but are less likely to suffer from overweight, high blood pressure or diabetes .
Even after taking these variables into account, the impact of regular coffee consumption on lower levels of depression does not change.
According to scientists, the benefits lie in caffeine - it is known that the ingredient enhances the feeling of well-being and energy . This has a physical effect on brain function and transmission by blocking certain chemical receptors, such as adenosine . However, more research is needed to prove that the process is useful in preventing depression.
But be careful! One of the common symptoms of depression is sleep disturbance , and caffeine can exacerbate the problem because it is a stimulant. Consuming too much caffeine can also increase feelings of anxiety .
Experts continue to study the link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of depression to confirm the findings.