Drinking coffee is known to boost alertness, well-being and concentration, along with improving mood and reducing depression. It is linked to numerous brain and health benefits including:
Reduced risk of stroke and Alzheimer’s
Decreased risk of colorectal, colon, endometrial and prostate cancers
In people 60 years and older, drinking two or more cups of coffee a day was associated with a lower risk of impaired agility in women and in those with obesity.
Here in the US, there’s a Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks on just about every street and it isn’t unusual to see people holding a coffee cup as they navigate streets and stores. There was a truly fascinating study done on whether it is possible to get that feeling of energy and productivity without actually drinking any coffee.
It turns out that you can get a productivity boost just by thinking about a cup of your favorite coffee. Interestingly both coffee and tea not only have physiological effects on your body, they also have psychological effects as well.
Many people’s brains may be primed toward arousal at the very thought of coffee, especially in our culture, where coffee dominates over tea. In the study, after being exposed to cues, such as images of coffee, the participants perceived time as shorter and thought in more concrete, precise terms, which suggests a more alert state of mind.
Even the smell of freshly brewed coffee is powerful! Another study of university students had some taking algebra tests in a computer lab with a coffee-like scent and others with no scent. Those in the coffee-scented room performed better on analytical reasoning tasks. So maybe even keeping a bag of coffee beans on hand for a quick sniff could be a caffeine free way to stimulate a mental boost.
If you avoid coffee because you avoid caffeine, even just thinking about it or smelling it could give you the productivity and energy boost without the caffeine.
Do you rely on coffee for energy and focus?
Want to see more articles like this? Subscribe to this blog (just click on “Follow”) and get each new post delivered to your email or feed reader. To follow me and get even more tips on how to live your life in 3-D, including improving your diet, choosing cutting edge nutritional products and effective weight loss strategies be sure to like me on Facebook here and here, sign up for my FREE weekly No-Nonsense Nutrition Report (and get a free gift!), follow me on Pinterest and Twitter!
Make gradual changes. Boost health, vitality and energy. Become your best YOU.
3-D Vitality 
I do not rely on coffee and go without many days. I am enjoying a cup now and feel that I have earned it. I did two workouts this morning. Real proud of myself so I rewarded myself w/ a cup of coffee and reading time.
I need to make the shift to tea though. I’ve just gotten out of the habit of tea. It’s easier to make coffee, we have a Keurig. I want to go a couple of weeks w/out dairy and the stumbling block is the cream for my coffee. I used to drink coffee black but no longer.
Sometimes I think the scent of brewing coffee or just ground beans is better than the taste anyway.
It has quite a few health benefits when consumed in moderation but you hit the nail on the head. What really brings the benefits down is what you put in your cup! Sounds like you have already proved the truth that the scent is just as powerful as actually drinking! I have found a mushroom infused coffee that I am really liking and I had not had any coffee since I got pregnant with my oldest son, 35 years ago! The company is Four Sigmatic and they infuse it with adaptogenic mushrooms and you really don’t need to add anything except maybe a bit of stevia.
How fun! I’m going to use this trick when I’m out backpacking and my first cup of coffee is hanging in a tree.
Haha that’s great Holly! I will be interested to hear how it works for you.
Not sure that I “have to” have my twenty or more cups per day: I’ve cut back substantially sine retiring. It may give me a boost but I really began drinking it to give my mind a break. Stopping to pour or sip a cup of coffee gives my brain a chance to relax and unwind, which is as important as my body getting a break to me. Thanks for sharing info, I may give it a try.
There are definite health benefits to coffee in moderation. I stopped drinking it 35 years ago when I was pregnant with my oldest son because I just lost my taste for it. I love tea but have recently renewed my enjoyment of coffee. If it is a trigger for giving you a much needed break, and the caffeine isn’t an issue, I see no problem with that. Enjoy it!
How interesting that the smell of coffee could have such an impact. I love the smell, but I l prefer to drink tea.
I found it interesting too and tea is still my go-to as well!
Pingback: Diabetes: Coffee and Green Tea | 3-D Vitality