Drinking coffee could enhance your mood and improve cognitive function, even without caffeine’s stimulating effects.
A recent study compared the effects of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, discovering benefits for gut health, mood, and behavior in both types.
Conducted by researchers at University College Cork in Ireland, the study examined health markers and perceived well-being in 31 coffee drinkers, who consumed three to five cups daily, against 31 non-coffee drinkers.
Initially, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of body mass index, blood pressure, stress, anxiety, depression, gastrointestinal symptoms, sleep quality, or physical activity.
However, coffee drinkers exhibited noticeable changes in certain immune markers in their blood and alterations in some gut microbe strains.
To determine whether caffeine is essential, the researchers asked all 31 coffee drinkers to abstain from coffee for two weeks.
Following this withdrawal, participants reintroduced coffee into their diets for three weeks without knowing if it was caffeinated or decaffeinated. Sixteen drank caffeinated and 15 consumed decaffeinated coffee.
Upon resuming coffee consumption, participants’ gut microbiome displayed coffee-related shifts, including strain-level changes with both types of coffee.
This indicates that certain gut microbe strains respond to coffee, regardless of caffeine content.
frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen>“Both types [of coffee] lowered stress, depression, impulsivity, and inflammation, while also boosting mood and cognitive performance,” the authors write.
Caffeinated coffee alone was linked to decreased anxiety, psychological distress, blood pressure, improved focus, and stress management. Coffee drinkers also exhibited higher impulsivity and emotional responses compared to non-drinkers.
Conversely, decaffeinated coffee enhanced sleep, physical activity, and memory.
The results indicate that caffeine may specifically affect mood and cognition, yet even decaffeinated coffee may maintain a connection to the gut-brain axis.
“Coffee is more than just caffeine – it’s a complex dietary factor that interacts with our gut microbes, our metabolism, and even our emotional wellbeing,” says microbiologist John Cryan.
“Our findings suggest that coffee, whether caffeinated or decaffeinated, can influence health in distinct but complementary ways.”
The research relies on associations between gut microbe changes and mood and behavioral alterations, based on self-reported participant feedback, which may not be entirely accurate.
Nonetheless, the study’s detailed comparison of how participants processed coffee compounds and the resulting metabolic patterns in their gut microbiome provides a robust indication that coffee may actively shape health benefits.
Proving these effects conclusively is challenging, given limited knowledge of the gut microbiome’s influence on the brain and coffee’s digestive processing.
“The relationship between digestive and mental health is also increasingly being better understood, but the mechanisms behind coffee’s effects on this gut-brain axis have remained unclear,” says Cryan.
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While further research is needed, the findings contribute to the growing evidence that coffee may support both body and mind, potentially reducing stress, enhancing mood, and alleviating depression symptoms.
Even decaffeinated coffee appears to bolster cognitive function in some studies.
This study suggests that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee have distinct physiological and psychological benefits, which should be considered individually based on personal preferences.
“The study’s comprehensive insights pave the way for future investigations harnessing these interactions for potential health interventions,” the research team concludes, “and underscore the importance of understanding coffee’s multifaceted effects on human physiology.”
The study was published in Nature Communications.
