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Depression?
Waking up groggy, eyes adjusting to the light, everything is a little
blurry, you stumble into the kitchen and get your first cup of joe
brewin’. The smell hits you first—a nice dark roast perhaps, and then
finally, your first sip, ahhhhh . . . You begin the rest of your morning
routine and that beautiful, aroma-filled beverage in your cup kick-starts
your day.
But have you ever wondered if your morning coffee ritual is actually
contributing to anxiety or depression? If so, I got some answers for you
in this article
And that’s not all. Coffee, which is most often connected to unhealthy
habits, was taken off the WHO’s list of carcinogenic foods in 2016, a
somewhat rare move. The WHO even reports that coffee may protect
against cancer of the uterus and liver. And they are not alone, several
other, well-known and esteemed organizations, such as The World
Cancer Research Fund and the US Department of Health and Human
Services, have also declared that coffee consumption in moderation
(three to five cups per day) can have positive effects on your health and
protect you from various forms of cancer.[2][3]
When it comes to depression, it was found that it may not be only the
caffeine at play, as there are other impactful components in coffee. The
more notable are chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid, all of
which have been found to reduce inflammation of nerves which is found
to be a factor in the brains of people suffering from depression. More
good stuff!
The research on coffee and anxiety, however, is not quite as positive for
those who suffer from anxiety as it is for those who suffer from
depression. And it’s not all that surprising either, but there was
something that I did find interesting in all of the reading I did on this
subject.
By and large, it was found that if you don’t suffer from anxiety, coffee
will likely not have too much of a negative impact on you when
consumed in moderation. However, when caffeine doses increase to
more than 400mg per day, symptoms associated with anxiety may
appear, such as restlessness, jitteriness, and trouble sleeping. In those
who suffer from anxiety, it will take far less to exacerbate their already
present symptoms of anxiety—not too surprising.[4]
But anecdotally, there is a lot of documentation about people quitting
coffee for a period of time and writing about the impact on their anxiety,
which was found to be fairly negligent. So, overall, if you suffer from
anxiety, there is a good chance that moderate coffee consumption will
not have too much of an impact on your anxiety, though it certainly
won’t help it.
When it comes to your overall mood, the thing you should think about is
how your body responds to caffeine as this is the primary issue for most
people—depression or anxiety aside—and our bodies have different
sensitivities to caffeine.
Some people can drink espresso right before bed and have no trouble
sleeping but for others, it could guarantee a night of restlessness with
lots of tossing and turning! And poor sleep contributes to irritability, less
resistance to dealing with life stressors as well as other poor health
indicators, and hence, lowered mood.
Overall, the research says that there are potentially a few health benefits
when it comes to depression and coffee drinking than on coffee and
anxiety—where it is found to have a negative or neutral impact.
Furthermore, there is an array of other potentially beneficial health
impacts from drinking coffee.[5]
5. Take Notes
Keep a little log or journal to write down how you are feeling on
different days and how much, if any, caffeine you are drinking at various
points in your “trial.” Think about your mood, how you feel, how you
are sleeping, and possibly how you feel it is impacting your relationships
and your daily activities. When you go back to look at your data, you
will be able to assess the impact of caffeine and coffee intake more
accurately.
Keep in Mind
How much coffee we drink and its impacts vary widely depending on
many, many factors. The best bet for you is to know yourself, pay
attention to how coffee impacts you, talk to your doctors, and consider
your personal life circumstances. Taking all of these steps will help you
to make an informed decision for yourself, which will likely change over
time.