How and Why Coffee Improves Your Mood

Jake Bonneman All About Coffee
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Anyone who has ever faced a Monday morning without coffee knows the true meaning of hardship. The groggy eyes, the uncooperative muscles, the foggy brain... it's enough to make even the hardiest of souls want to crawl back into bed and hide under the covers.

And yet, we all somehow manage to pull ourselves out of bed and get through the day. Why? Because coffee is there to help us make it through.

Coffee is the lifeline that gets us through our long days and late nights. It's the best friend that we can always count on, no matter how tough things get. So next time you're feeling down about how hard life is, just remember: things could always be worse. At least you have good coffee.

But what is it about coffee that makes it so special?

Is it "just" the caffeine kick that gives us a much-needed energy boost?

Or is there something more to this beloved beverage?

As it turns out, there might just be. Several studies have shown that coffee can actually improve your mood. Let's take a closer look at how this works.

Caffeine literally blocks mood-depressing chemicals in the brain

Caffeine (See How Much is in your favorite drinks) blocks receptors in the brain from binding with a chemical (adenosine) that causes fatigue and depressed mood. (Source) This is why drinking coffee can make you feel more alert, awake, and positive overall.

Coffee drinkers are less likely to be depressed than non-coffee drinkers

It's true (as you can see in this white paper). Further research is needed, as usual, but coffee drinkers definitely seem to be at a reduced risk of depression. Why? Aside from the more obvious energy/uplifting effects that caffeine has, it may be partially due to coffee's anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties.

It may also be partially because it provides the gut microbiome with nutrients to metabolize coffee constituents into good things for the body, and promotes a healthy "microbiome."

The antioxidants in coffee can help fight back against some of the effects of depression

Antioxidants are beneficial compounds that help protect your cells from damage and fight inflammation. People who are depressed have more oxidative stress, which is caused by imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body.

Coffee is chock-full of antioxidants, so it can help to improve your mood by reducing oxidative stress.

This is a good place to mention that the antioxidants coffee is loaded with can also help to protect your brain from age-related damage, improve cognitive function, and help prevent the development of a variety of degenerative and chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, and others.