Have you ever had a sip of a coffee in the morning and felt a jolt of energy that immediately woke you up? Have you wondered if there could be any lasting effects of drinking coffee? Today, we will explore the cognitive effects of drinking coffee.
How is Coffee Made?
Coffee is made from seeds of Coffea arabica in either its raw, roasted, whole, or grounded form. While there are 70 species of coffee, only 3 are cultivated (Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora, and Coffea liberica).
Most coffees are made from roasted coffee. Raw coffee beans are added to loaders and then into a rotating drum heated to around 240 degrees. Most coffee is roasted to 3 levels: light, medium, and dark roast.
Once the coffee beans are roasted, they are grounded in various levels to suit the brewing method. Some of the most common brewing methods include pour-over, drip coffeemakers, French press, cold brew, and espresso. If you want to learn more about different brewing methods, you can explore a few recommendations, such as this one from Starbucks and another from Blue Bottle.
What’s In the Coffee?
One of the key characteristics of coffee is its bitter taste. The coffee’s bitter taste is from the extracted coffee’s chlorogenic acid (CGA), the coffee’s main phenolic acid compound, broken down during roasting. The broken-down organic compound also contributes toward the browning of the coffee beans.
A 2021 study reports that CGA may lower blood cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein. It also has antioxidant, antibacterial, and DNA protection effects because of its ability to neutralize free radicals that damage DNA and other cell structures. A 2020 study showed that CGA in coffee showed a protective effect against cognitive impairment and prevented the build-up of amyloid beta plaques in mice that were induced to have Alzheimer’s disease.
Of course, caffeine is also one of the main components of the coffee. Caffeine affects changes in the blood level of norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors in phosphodiesterase enzymes in skeletal muscles and adipose tissues. This increases the breakdown of fats in the body, giving more muscle energy. This inhibition also increases the concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which may increase epinephrine and dopamine. It also allows the heart and lungs to work faster.
In a 2022 cross-sectional study, theobromine and theophylline in coffee were associated with increased cognitive function, but the authors claim that more research is needed to strengthen their results. A 2017 mice study showed that theobromine and theophylline did not have a protective effect against cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease-modeled mice.
What are the Cognitive Effects of Coffee?
A 2013 paper reviewed articles published between 1990 and 2002 and found coffee is associated with a reduction in the incidence of diabetes and liver disease. The authors also found coffee appears to have protective effects against Parkinson’s disease and osteoporosis. This study appears to be supported by a 2020 neuroimaging study that showed that whole coffee cherry extract administration to older adults can lead to structures of neurons involved in decision-making, attention, and memory.
What part of coffee might be contributing to this improvement in cognitive function? A 2018 Japanese study suggested that roasting coffee beans is a crucial part of its role in reducing beta-amyloid plaque in humans. A 2013 study suggested that it is not caffeine but something in the coffee that contributes to neuroprotective effects. For example, a 2018 study found that phenylindanes prevent the build-up of beta-amyloid and tau build-ups for those at risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
If you prefer to drink tea instead of coffee, you may still benefit from similar chemicals in tea that have similar effects. A 2005 study showed that age was positively associated with tea consumption but negatively associated with coffee preference. Teas also have flavonoids, which appear to have a beneficial effect on cognitive health.
Summary
This post explored coffee’s components and how those affect our cognitive health. We hope this post has helped you understand coffee’s effects on your health. If you have a favorite way of drinking your coffee, please feel free to share it in the comment section!
Ralph with Coffee 