Is the caffeine in your coffee actually what gives you energy or that “boost” you look for in the morning? While most of us would say yes, a newly published study suggests otherwise. A new study published on Heliyon found that the so-called “energizing” effects of your morning cup of joe could have more to do with ritual than the caffeine itself.
The double-blind, placebo-controlled study followed the habits of coffee drinkers, where researchers found that decaf coffee drinkers exhibited many of the same cognitive and psychological responses as those who drank regular coffee. The study’s findings suggest that the actual ritual of making and drinking a cup of coffee every morning may have a greater impact on us than the caffeine it contains. As a regular coffee drinker and caffeine addict, these findings are especially intriguing.
The study’s findings come at an interesting time, given that half-caff and decaf options are also rising in popularity. While caffeine is commonly associated with increased focus and alertness, this study suggests that habitual coffee drinkers may develop “conditioned” responses, where the act of consuming coffee itself triggers psychological changes, even without caffeine being present.
Within the study, researchers examined 20 healthy college students (10 male and 10 female) who regularly consumed one to three cups of coffee per day. Some students received decaf coffee, and some received regular, which were identical in taste and appearance. The study’s results found that both decaf and regular coffee groups experienced similar physiological changes following coffee ingestion. In both groups, average heart rate decreased and blood pressure increased after consuming either drink, with no significant differences between the caffeine and placebo groups.
