Coffee may be a part of your daily routine, but did you know that it could be good for your psychological health? You might be aware that coffee makes you feel good, especially when you wake up in the morning or you’re really flagging toward the end of the day. However, some research suggests the coffee really could have some positive effects on the way we feel from day to day and just why we choose to keep drinking it (apart from the caffeine). While coffee might have some side effects, especially for those who are sensitive to its ingredients, researchers have also looked at the positive effects that come with a daily cup of joe.
You know coffee makes you feel happy, but it could also help you to look on the bright side of life. If you want to look at the world with a glass-half-full attitude, coffee could give you the positive outlook that you need. Caffeine can give your brain a boost, helping you to perform better with cognitive and behavioral tasks. Researchers have also found that drinking coffee could even improve your recognition of positive words. The researchers suggest that this is because caffeine increases dopamine in language-dormant areas of the brain.
A warm cup of coffee can be comforting and it could turn you into a warmer person too – not just physically, but also emotionally. Researchers looked at whether physical warmth affected how the interpersonal warmth of a person was perceived. They did this by having someone hand a cup of coffee, which was sometimes iced and sometimes warm, to a participant in the study. When the participants were asked what they thought of the person who handed them the coffee, the participants judged her as having a warmer personality if they had been handed the hot coffee cup. So sharing coffee with someone could affect your impression and prosocial behavior toward another person.
Even just seeing reminders of coffee, without drinking it or even going near it, could perk up your brain. A study from the University of Toronto showed that parts of the brain would become more active on being given reminders of coffee. In four studies, participants received cues relating to coffee and tea to see how they would react. People exposed to coffee-related cues showed effects such as thinking in more precise terms and thinking that time was going faster. This effect was more common in people from Western cultures, where coffee is more common to drink.
Studies have shown that coffee and caffeine can improve your cognitive function in various ways. These include better memory, better mood, higher energy levels, and faster reaction times. Drinking coffee could deliver a range of benefits to make you a happier person who is more productive. It stimulates the brain to induce all of these effects, enhancing the firing of neurons.
Keep your psyche in top health and engage your brain with regular coffee consumption. You may even see the world around you as greener. At Purc Coffee, you can get your daily coffee fix and couple it with a pastry or any food from the bistro next door too. We are open 24/7 so you can enjoy your cup any time of day!
