[imagesource:wikicommons]

Every coffee lover will tell you that there is more to that first cup of coffee in the morning than just the caffeine kick. Sitting down with a cup of black gold is often the only way some people manage not to go off the deep end as another day of commuting and office high-jinx looms.

It does however bring up the question of whether caffeine is solely responsible for making you feel more alert, or do other parts of the morning ritual — coffee’s smell or taste, perhaps — trigger that energetic feeling? After all, tea has caffeine in it, but it’s never a suitable replacement for coffee, no matter what the British or your spouse says.

Researchers went looking for the answer to this question by scanning the brains of several coffee drinkers, and the results are rather surprising.

“If you listen to these individuals, they typically say that they need to have coffee in the morning to get ready. We wanted to understand the brain mechanisms and functional connectivity pattern that would justify this claim.”

Conducted by the University of Minho’s School of Medicine in Portugal, the researchers recruited 83 people who drank at least one cup of coffee a day to undergo MRI scans so they could observe their brain activity.

Of that total, 47 people were scanned before drinking their morning cup of coffee, and then again 30 minutes after they had a cup. The 36 others were simply given caffeine diluted in hot water — no coffee — and underwent the same types of MRI scans before and after they consumed the beverage.

The result showed that certain effects were attributed only to coffee drinkers, despite everyone having consumed caffeine.

While both groups — those who consumed caffeine and those who drank coffee — had decreased activity in a part of the brain that puts people in a resting state, the folks who drank coffee showed increased activity in parts of the brain involved in short-term memory, attention, and focus. Those who only had caffeine did not show this increase.

The theory that they now have is that the sight, smell, or taste of the coffee may help people feel alert, regardless of the caffeine content.

“The pleasure that is given to an individual that likes coffee in the morning, that actually is part of almost a ritual that really is also important for that individual to feel that ‘I’m ready for the day.'”

Before you get too excited about your six-cup-a-day habit, it is possible that the effects are the result of associations we have with specific sensory experiences. After a while the habit of sitting down with a cuppa is enough to appease the brain, resulting in that extra kick.

“It kind of makes sense, right? Coffee has taste and smell, so when you drink coffee, you’re activating brain regions that are involved in the perception of the taste of the coffee, the perception of the smell, It could be like, ‘Oh, I think there’s something that gives me energy now. I’m going to have something that gives me that second wind I need at work or to study.'”

Researchers also pointed out that most of the participants were women, so there might just be sex-based differences in how people’s brains respond to coffee.

What the research does show us, is that coffee is still a healthier way to get your caffeine fix than energy drinks or sodas.

Coffee is also very rich in antioxidants and some polyphenols, which are natural compounds that may lower blood pressure, destroy cancer cells and protect against diabetes by improving your metabolism. Also, that delicious aroma is thanks to a substance called trigonelline, which has antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Does this mean that you can call your local coffee shop a health shop?

[source:nbc]