News — caffeine

Erin, Bart & Nathaniel discuss mental health while sharing some Chocolate, we banter and download what's on our radar.

Erin explains it can be hard what to believe when it comes to what foods we should incorporate more of in our diet and there’s always the latest fad/tread that people are talking about. I recently heard that pistachios could help you sleep at night and then there’s a whole green juice bandwagon that’s now turned into celery juice, also what about chocolate being good for your mental health? Then there are activities like mediation and yoga. Do they really help with your mental health or is it that our lives are so busy that when we finally get a chance to do nothing, we get this sense of relief?

The final post in this series is all about the environmental impacts, looking at food, drink and exercise and whether certain additions to your diet and lifestyle can improve your mental health for the better. Do they really help with your mental health or is it that our lives are so busy that when we finally get a chance to do nothing, we get this sense of relief?

Do you need that cup of coffee right now? We think so. Why do you need it? Probably because of the effects from its caffeine, a naturally occurring stimulant that makes you awake, aware, and creative. It’s magic-in-a-cup.

Last week we looked at the impact that coffee can have on your mental health in general. In today’s post we are focusing on why if you experience depression, you should drink coffee and the best time to drink it to have the best impact.

Coffee is great for depression this is partially due to the caffeine in it but also since it contains the following: chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid. These acids can help reduce the inflammation of nerve cells that occur in the brain of people who experience depression. Coffee is better at reducing depression than regular tea due to these acids however green tea has similar impacts to coffee due to the antioxidants it contains. Other caffeinated drinks aren’t going to help treat depression as they only contain caffeine and not the antioxidants which have an impact, not to mention that energy drinks contain high amounts of sugar and other chemicals. So, if you need a boost and are experiencing depression it’s best to reach for coffee or green tea and leave the other drinks.