Your daily cup of coffee may be doing more than helping you wake up in the morning, a new study has found.A small study out of University College Cork in Ireland found that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee were linked to changes in gut microbes and some measures of mood.Both types also appeared to have different effects on cognition."Coffee is more than just caffeine — it’s a complex dietary factor that interacts with our gut microbes, our metabolism and even our emotional wellbeing," study corresponding author Professor John Cryan said in a statement.
Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee may influence health "in distinct but complementary ways," Cryan added.YOUR MORNING COFFEE COULD BE MAKING YOU MORE TIRED, EXPERTS WARN: 'LIKE A ROLLER COASTER'The researchers studied 62 healthy adults, 31 who were regular coffee drinkers and 31 who did not drink coffee.The coffee drinkers, who typically had three to five cups a day, stopped drinking it for two weeks; then they were assigned to resume caffeinated or decaf coffee for three weeks.Researchers then tracked their mood and cognitive test scores and analyzed stool and urine samples.A new study has examined how coffee consumption may relate to gut bacteria, mood and cognitive test results.
(iStock)After coffee was reintroduced, both groups reported lower stress, depression and impulsivity than at the the start of the study. The caffeinated group also reported reduced anxiety and showed improvement on an attention test.Those who drank decaf showed improvement on a test of episodic memory, which measures the ability to recall information and experiences.FORGET YOGURT AND SAUERKRAUT: 5 GUT-FRIENDLY FAVORITES MAY ALREADY BE ON YOUR SHELFThe researchers found that coffee drinkers also had differences in certain gut bacteria and both groups had some microbial changes after starting both types of coffee, though the study could not prove gut microbes caused the reported mood or cognitive changes."Public interest i...