It's official! Drinking coffee in the morning improves your mood
Scientists have confirmed what coffee drinkers have long suspected - that a morning caffeine hit really does improve their mood.
A study by the University of Warwick and Bielefeld University in Germany tracked the moods of more than 200 young adults for up to four weeks. Participants received prompts on their phones seven times a day, asking whether they had recently consumed caffeine and how they felt at that moment.
In total, the researchers collected 28,000 mood reports. They found that people who drank caffeine early in the day reported feeling happier and more enthusiastic in the first two and a half hours after waking, compared with later in the day. The findings were published in Nature Scientific Reports.
Professor Anu Realo, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick, explained why caffeine may have this effect.
“Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors, which can increase dopamine activity in key brain regions – an effect that studies have linked to improved mood and greater alertness,” she said.
The study found that caffeine intake was associated with an immediate rise in positive emotions, particularly enthusiasm and happiness. Smaller effects were seen for contentment and reduced sadness. However, researchers said it was not clear whether this was due to a genuine mood boost or simply the easing of overnight withdrawal symptoms.
Professor Realo added: “Even people with moderate caffeine consumption can experience mild withdrawal symptoms that disappear with the first cup of coffee or tea in the morning.”
The team also examined whether coffee affected people differently. They had expected that those with higher levels of anxiety might experience negative mood changes, such as greater nervousness, after consuming caffeine. But this was not always the case.
Justin Hachenberger, from Bielefeld University and the study’s first author, said: “We were somewhat surprised to find no differences between individuals with varying levels of caffeine consumption or differing degrees of depressive symptoms, anxiety, or sleep problems. The links between caffeine intake and positive or negative emotions were fairly consistent across all groups.”
Despite the findings, the researchers cautioned that caffeine can be habit-forming. Excessive consumption has been linked to health risks, and drinking it later in the day may interfere with sleep.
Professor Sakari Lemola, of Bielefeld University and the study’s senior author, said: “Around 80 per cent of adults worldwide consume caffeinated beverages, and the use of such stimulating substances dates far back in human history. Even wild animals consume caffeine; bees and bumblebees prefer nectar from plants that contain caffeine.”