Coffee's Superpower REVEALED!
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted August 6, 2023
I’ve just made a cup of coffee and settled in at my desk to read the latest studies and write.
And right now, I’m enjoying its enticing aroma as I write to you.
If you’re like many other folks, you can’t imagine starting the day before your morning brew.
I consider my cup of Joe an essential tool for writing. After all, plenty of research shows coffee gives your brain a welcome boost to get stuff done.
But is it the caffeine alone that delivers that brain-clarifying boost? Or could you replace coffee with a caffeine tablet and get the SAME benefit?
That’s exactly what one team of scientists wanted to know. And what they discovered might surprise you.
I must admit I ENJOY the whole ritual of making a cup of coffee: the smell of the beans, the aroma of hot water passing through the grounds, and the cup’s warmth in my hands.
So I’m not likely to give up MY routine anytime soon.
But new research published in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience investigated if caffeine ALONE was responsible for coffee’s brain-boosting effect.
They started by scanning volunteers’ brains in an MRI machine. They then had them take a caffeine pill or drink coffee and looked to see how each affected the brain.
Both caffeine AND coffee suppressed activity in a part of the brain that’s used when we’re idle (the default mode network). This is the effect that primes people to work on tasks after taking either.
But that’s where things got really interesting.
It turns out coffee has a secret superpower.
Because the coffee did SO much more.
The coffee drinkers ALSO had spikes in their brain’s communication network (connectivity), which primed their…
- working memory,
- cognitive control,
- and goal-directed behavior.
In other words, caffeine IS responsible for part of the brain boost you get from your morning brew. But it doesn’t account for ALL of the coffee’s benefits… by a long shot.
So, if your TO-DO list is waiting for you to get started, go right ahead and pour yourself a cup BEFORE you dive in.
P.S. Is coffee or tea healthier? CLICK HERE for the FINAL answer.
Source:
“Coffee consumption decreases the connectivity of the posterior Default Mode Network (DMN) at rest,” Front. Behav. Neurosci., 28 June 2023, Sec. Learning and Memory, Volume 17 – 2023, doi. org/ 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1176382
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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