Coffee is a global favorite. This morning (or afternoon) drink is recognized for its caffeine content, which may wake up even the tiredest eyes.
Coffee is popular, therefore many research have explored its short- and long-term health consequences.
Moderate coffee drinking reduces the risk of prediabetes and liver disease.
Coffee Active Ingredients
Coffee may provide health advantages due to its hundreds of bioactive components. Many of these chemicals are antioxidants that combat cell damage from free radicals.
The most major coffee active components are:
Caffeine. Coffee activates the CNS with caffeine.
The chlorogenic acids. These polyphenol antioxidants may improve blood sugar metabolism and high blood pressure.
Kahweol, cafestol. Unfiltered coffee has large levels of these chemicals in its natural oil.
• Trigonelline. This alkaloid molecule creates nicotinic acid (vitamin B3) during roasting because it is unstable at high heat.
However, coffee has different levels of these chemicals.
How does coffee affect the brain?
Caffeine has numerous CNS effects. These effects are likely caused by caffeine’s adenosine receptor interaction.
Brain chemical adenosine promotes sleep.
Adenosine binds to brain neuron receptors. It stops neurons from firing by binding to certain receptors. It slows neuronal activity.
Adenosine builds up during the day, making you tired at night.
Adenosine and caffeine share a molecular structure. Caffeine competes with adenosine for brain receptors.
However, caffeine does not slow neuron activity like adenosine. It prevents adenosine from decreasing neuronal activity.
Coffee wakes you up by stimulating the CNS.
How Can Caffeine Help Brain Function?
Resting brain entropy increases with caffeine.
Higher brain entropy indicates better processing. Increased resting brain entropy suggests better information processing.
Norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin are released by caffeine, stimulating the CNS.
Caffeine enhances brain function, such as mood, reaction time, alertness, attention, learning, and overall mental health.
Caffeine and Memory
Coffee and caffeine may influence memory, but data is conflicting and more is required.
Some research show that caffeine improves short-term and long-term memory.
Some studies showed no impact on memory while others indicated caffeine degraded memory.
Participants’ ability to remember photographs 24 hours after seeing them and taking a caffeine tablet increased in one research.
Contrary to placebo, caffeine made these recollections more durable.