Those who regularly drink coffee usually feel much happier after their morning cup of the aromatic beverage than on other days at the same time without it.
This is the result of a study by researchers from Bielefeld University in Germany and the University of Warwick in the UK, published in Scientific Reports. According to the analysis, respondents felt better and more energetic when they consumed coffee or other caffeine-containing drinks.
The researchers surveyed 236 young adults aged 18 to 29 who regularly consumed caffeinated beverages. Over a period of two to four weeks, participants filled out short questionnaires on their mobile phones, DW reports. Seven times a day, they described their current mood and noted whether they had consumed caffeine in the past 90 minutes.
It has long been known that caffeine has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, which in turn improves cognitive functions and alters affective states.
These effects have been thoroughly studied under laboratory conditions, but the impact of caffeine on people in everyday life has remained relatively underexplored. The aim of the study was to fill this gap by examining the links between immediate caffeine consumption and affective states in a natural setting, while accounting for factors such as time of day, individual differences, and contextual influences.
According to the survey, caffeine consumption enhanced positive emotions and boosted alertness. Coffee also counteracted negative moods such as sadness and anger, although this effect was less pronounced. The link between caffeine consumption and positive emotions was strongest during the first two and a half hours after waking, i.e., in the morning. Fatigue and social context tended to weaken this association.
Overall, the findings suggest that caffeine may play an important role in modulating affective states in daily life. Not long ago, scientists also found that coffee can slow the progression of chronic liver disease. The results of this study indicate that caffeine may also play a key role in influencing mood and emotional responses in everyday settings.
The researchers also wanted to find out whether coffee affects different people in the same way. “We were surprised not to find any differences between people with different levels of consumption, as well as those with depression, anxiety, or sleep problems,” commented Justin Hachenberger from the Department of Psychology and Sports Science at Bielefeld University. “The relationship between caffeine consumption and both positive and negative emotions was relatively similar across all these groups.”
The researchers had expected that people with higher anxiety might experience negative mood changes, such as increased nervousness, after caffeine consumption. “However, it is possible that people who know they react poorly to caffeine simply avoid it. Such individuals were not included in the study, since only data from regular caffeine consumers were analyzed,” Hachenberger explained.
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