The Surprising Effect of Coffee on Mental Health

Posted on November 29, 2017

Photo: pexels

New research finds that moderate coffee consumption is linked to a reduced depression risk and lower levels of Parkinson's and dementia.

This supports findings from some 200 over studies done previously that also shows the many other benefits from drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee daily. Some of these benefits include lower levels of heart disease, reduced risk of some cancers, diabetes and liver disease.

Published in The British Medical Journal, the study's authors write:
Coffee consumption was consistently associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease, even after adjustment for smoking, and across all categories of exposure. Consumption also had a consistent association with lower risk of depression and cognitive disorders, especially for Alzheimer's disease."

Physically, coffee was also associated with a lower risk of:
○ prostate cancer
○ endometrial cancer
○ skin cancer
○ liver cancer
○ type 2 diabetes
○ gallstones
○ gout
○ liver conditions (such as cirrhosis)
*However, the effect for drinking decaffeinated coffee was not as strong.

The research concluded with the lowest risk of disease being associated with having a moderate intake of 3 to 5 cups (≤400mg) of coffee a day. The author's then concluded with a disclaimer, stating that after aggregating data from a varying number of studies and participants, it is found that there is a LINK between coffee and these health benefits. However, because of the way these studies were designed, it cannot tell us that drinking coffee CAUSES these health benefits.

The study can be found here.


Category(s):Mental Health in Asia

Source material from PsyBlog