Shafaqna English- A study in mice suggests that caffeinated coffee may protect against stress-related memory and mood problems, while decaffeinated coffee provided little to no comparable protection, according to PsyPost.
Researchers at the University of Coimbra exposed 24 mice to three weeks of chronic unpredictable stress and compared the effects of caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee and water.
Mice drinking caffeinated coffee maintained normal memory and showed far fewer signs of anxiety, anhedonia and reduced self-care. Brain analysis also found that caffeine prevented stress-related disruptions in hippocampal long-term potentiation and preserved levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, both important for healthy brain function.
By contrast, stressed mice given decaffeinated coffee experienced most of the same behavioral and neurological problems as those drinking water, suggesting that caffeine may be the key component behind coffee’s protective effects in this model.
The findings, published in Neurobiology of Stress, add to previous research linking caffeine with protection against stress-related cognitive and mood changes.
However, the study was small and conducted entirely in mice. The researchers did not precisely measure individual caffeine intake, and differences between male and female animals were not separately analyzed. Further research is needed to determine whether the same effects occur in humans.
Source: PsyPost