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Does it Matter WHEN You Drink Coffee?
New research suggests a big health difference in morning vs. afternoon consumption
Writing this story required several cups of coffee. I managed to finish it before noon, and that may be a good thing, because new research suggests that drinking coffee in the afternoon might dilute or even reverse some of the drink’s well-established health benefits. Exactly why is a bit of a mystery, but the research scientists and I have some thoughts on that, too.
First, the good news: Several studies in recent years have found significant health benefits to coffee, even in large quantities. It can help keep the brain sharp and focused and improve memory and reaction times. It’s linked to lower risk of depression, dementia, heart disease and even prostate cancer, among other ills. The goodness of coffee, beyond the perks of caffeine, is attributed in part to antioxidants and the unstudied but potential positive effects of any of more than 1,000 other chemicals found in both regular and decaf.
The new research analyzed peoples’ health outcomes over time, finding evidence that these benefits might be more robust for people who drink coffee only in the morning:
“Compared with people who did not drink coffee, morning coffee drinkers were 16% less likely to die of any…