If you are one of the millions of coffee lovers around the world, you’re probably happy to learn that coffee is great for your health and that it can extend your life. In fact, coffee can help reduce your risk of cancer by 20 percent; risk of heart disease by 5 percent; risk of Type 2 diabetes by 30 percent; and risk of Parkinson’s disease by 30 percent.
Coffee offers all these health benefits by repairing your DNA, providing your body with natural antioxidants, improving insulin and glucose regulation, and calming stress-caused inflammation. A fact that many find surprising is that drinking coffee may even help you live longer.
With that being said, there’s a right and a wrong time to drink coffee and caffeine in general. Keep reading to learn when it’s the right time to grab a cup and indulge in all the benefits coffee has to offer.
Source: Pixabay
Early Morning Coffee isn’t Ideal
Your body’s circadian rhythm runs on a 24-hour clock that’s regulated by your environment. For example, daylight is a main regulator of this rhythm. When the sun is out, you feel alive and awake. If it’s cloudy outside, you may feel slow and lazy.
Hunger, your sleep schedule, and other things are determined by this internal clock. This includes your hormone production schedule.
When you wake up in the morning, your circadian rhythm orders your body to produce cortisol, which is commonly called the “stress steroid” because it increases when you are stressed or have a boost of adrenaline. Cortisol increases alertness, helps you wake up, and can manipulate several biological processes.
You experience a natural cortisol boost during the day. You have a daily peek of cortisol between 8 AM and 9 AM (for most people). If you consume caffeine at this time, you are wasting it, because you are already at your alertness peak for the day (even if you don’t feel it).
Also, drinking coffee during a cortisol boost can eventually lead to a tolerance to caffeine, as it’s not providing any real benefits at this time regarding alertness.
The Best Time to Consume Caffeine
Just because you don’t need coffee in the morning, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it at this time. Consider choosing a decaffeinated option for early morning consumption.
According to the study mentioned above, to get the most out of the caffeine in coffee, drink it right after a cortisol peak. This means between 9 AM and 11:30 AM
You experience other cortisol peaks later in the day, usually one between 12 and 1 PM, and another one between 5:30 and 6:30 PM. This means having another cup between 1 and 5 PM is advised.
The time between your natural cortisol boosts is when the jolt of caffeine will be most beneficial. Rather than crashing between your peaks, you can maintain your alertness.
Source: Pixabay
Getting the Most from Your Coffee
If you are a coffee drinker, you probably already know that not all brews are created equal. If possible, choose fresh ground coffee to get the best “boost” from the caffeine. Also, mind the right equipment with this guide about coffee makers. After all, how you make your coffee impacts its taste and texture.
When to Reach for a Cup of Joe?
For many people, coffee is an essential part of their day to day routine. If this describes you, use the tips here to ensure you are getting the most from your caffeine boost. By drinking coffee at the right time, you can avoid the all-too-common energy-drops in the afternoon.
* This is a guest post, but all content published on Tea With Gi is still kept relevant to this blog. *
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