For thousands of Britons, the morning coffee is an essential part of their routine, one that helps them bounce into the day with vigour and energy.
However, there is more to drinking coffee that just the potential health benefits and boost that it provides with one expert suggesting there is an optimum time to consume the caffeinated beverage.
Writing in the Times, Libby Galvin, suggested that drinking coffee at a certain time could help someone become an early riser and that the best time would be around 90 minutes after cortisol – the body’s stress hormone – has peaked.
According to Libby, cortisol – which provides the sense of alertness in the morning – peaks around 30 minutes after we wake up and therefore it is best to consume coffee after that starts to drop. As a result, coffee will act to sustain that alertness rather than prematurely boost it.
Libby explained: “Drink it an hour and a half later…once cortisol levels begin to drop, to lengthen that feeling of morning focus.” Libby also suggested the timing of the final cup of the day was also crucial.
“And have your last cup before lunch. Five hours after consuming caffeine, half of it is still circulating in your body, and it doesn’t entirely clear until as much as nine or ten hours after the first sip.”
Alongside providing a psychological boost in the morning, coffee has also been considered a drink that could provide physiological benefits as well with one recent study claiming it could add two years to someone’s life.
Published in Ageing Research Reviews, a Portuguese team assessed over 50 studies and looked at how coffee affects health and ageing and said the drink could add 1.8 years to someone’s life.
Lead author of the study, Rodrigo Cunha, said: “We know that the world’s population is ageing faster than ever, which is why it’s increasingly important to explore dietary interventions which may allow people to not only live longer but also healthier lives.”
The study’s findings have been reflected by comments made by Professor Tim Spector who wrote on Instagram: “Studies are showing that coffee drinkers have less heart disease than non-coffee drinkers. There’s certainly no excess in cancers or mortality to suggest there were any bad effects.”
However, it is important to note that whilst coffee could have some positive physical and psychological benefits, that not everyone has a positive reaction to it and some studies have found drinking too much coffee can have a negative impact.
This too, has been reflected by Professor Tim Spector on Instagram where he cautioned: “Now, I think there’s always a caveat to this. And there are some people who are very sensitive to caffeine who might get a pulse that goes faster and they get some real effects of the caffeine but it generally doesn’t kill them or cause them any permanent damage and they just know to avoid the drink.
“While coffee is packed full of polyphenols and fibre that have been shown to benefit your gut health, for those of us who are sensitive to caffeine the costs may outweigh these benefits.”
