Coffee fix in the morning just a myth

Mar 7 2007

According to researchers in Britain that cup vital cup of coffee in the morning may not actually give you the lift you think it does.

The researchers at Bristol University suggest that the early morning cup of java may not be the pick-me-up people think it is and say caffeine eases withdrawal symptoms which build up overnight, but does not make people more alert than normal.

They say only those people who have avoided coffee for a while will get a buzz from caffeine.

But the British Coffee Association disagrees and says regular drinkers did feel more alert and that alertness felt is a return to normal.

Many people feel their morning caffeine fix wakes them up, and if they miss out feel sluggish and unable to get on with their day.

But the Bristol researchers, in a review of previous studies into the effects of caffeine, say all the drink does is counteract the mild caffeine withdrawal symptoms people are experiencing because they have gone without the stimulant overnight.

They also say those who drink a caffeinated drink first thing in the morning are no more alert than those who never consume one.

According to Professor Peter Rogers, a biological psychologist who led the research, the boost from caffeine in the morning is probably due to a reversal of the withdrawal symptoms and though caffeine has some benefits, such as preventing cognitive decline in the elderly it was usually best to opt for decaffeinated drinks.

Professor Rogers says a regular consumer is in a cycle of withdrawal reversal.

The study was presented at the British Nutrition Foundation conference.