A new study has found that people who drink two to three cups of coffee daily are less likely to experience anxiety or depression, in comparison to those who consume more or less quantities of this widely popular beverage.
Previous research findings have shed light on a variety of potential health benefits associated with moderate coffee intake, including lower risks of Type 2 diabetes, chronic liver disease, stroke, and cancer. Building upon this, the researchers aimed to explore the potential connection between coffee consumption and common mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
The study, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, also tried to find out if these associations differed depending on the type of coffee people drank (like instant, ground, or decaffeinated coffee) or if they used additives in their coffee (like milk, sugar, or artificial sweeteners).
According to the CDC, approximately 5% of adults in the United States often deal with feelings of depression, while nearly 13% experience regular sensations of worry, nervousness, or anxiety.
The research findings indicated that individuals who consumed fewer than two to three cups of coffee daily showed a decreased risk of developing depression and anxiety. However, the risk was observed to be the lowest among those who consumed two to three cups daily. But, for each additional cup of coffee consumed beyond three per day, the risk of both mental health disorders increased.
Researchers analyzed data from a total of 146,566 people (63,860 men and 82,796 women) from the United Kingdom, who answered questions about their mental health and coffee drinking habits between 2006 and 2010. The average age of people who participated in the study was 56.
In 2016, the participants answered questions from two mental health questionnaires commonly used for diagnosing anxiety and depression, known as the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7. The questionnaires included inquiries about the frequency of experiences, such as…
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