Most coffee drinkers would likely already agree their morning cup of coffee makes them happier — but a new study now supports this claim. A recently published study in the journal Scientific Reports by researchers at the University of Warwick and Bielefeld University found that study participants reported feeling happier and more enthusiastic compared to those who had not yet had their morning cup of coffee. Individuals in the study received questions on their phone several times a day, requiring them to report how they currently felt and how recently they consumed caffeine.
The study followed 200 young adults over the course of four weeks, measuring reported moods before and after consuming coffee. A professor involved in the study at the University of Warwick commented that the positive mood boost occurs as caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors in the brain. The study focused on caffeine consumption in everyday life and not in an artificial lab setting.
With an increase in dopamine activity in key regions of the brain, the study highlights that drinking coffee truly can have a positive effect on mood. In addition, researchers also noted that the dopamine boost may also have to do with caffeine dependence, as those who had not yet consumed caffeine may have been experiencing mild caffeine withdrawal symptoms.
“Around 80 per cent of adults worldwide consume caffeinated beverages, and the use of such stimulating substances dates far back in human history,” says Professor Sakari Lemola from Bielefeld University. To their surprise, researchers found that the links between caffeine intake and positive or negative emotions were consistent across all groups in the study, regardless of the amount of caffeine consumed.
