Coffee is one of the world’s favorite beverages. In fact, over 50% of American adults over 18 drink coffee each and every day. Whether you drink the same coffee every day, or use Coffee or Bust reviews to try new beans, there is a good chance coffee is a big part of your day.
And if you find yourself flashing a bright smile after your morning cup, you might want to thank the best dentist in Saratoga Springs NY for those pearly whites.
But just what part of your day?
While most people will have a cup of coffee in the morning as a pick-me-up and a couple more at work during the day, are those really the best times to drink your coffee? While it might not seem like when you drink your coffee matters that much, it actually does.
Steven Miller, who is a neuroscientist that studied how drugs interact with our bodies rhythm, and other experts have actually said that there are indeed some times that are better to consume caffeine than others. Read on to learn more about when they say are the best and worst times of the day to consume caffeine.
While most of us drink and crave caffeine and coffee in the morning, it turns out that this is actually one of the worst times to have it. The reason for this is related to your circadian rhythm.
This rhythm runs all day and is regulated by your surroundings and environment. It is why you feel awake when the sun is out, tired when it's dark and lazy when it is cloudy. Sleep, hunger and even the production of your hormones are also affected by this internal clock and rhythm.
When you wake up, this rhythm leads to increased production of cortisol. This wakes you up and makes you more alert. Because this cortisol already has you at a high-level of alertness and wakefulness, having caffeine will have less of an effect.
If you drink coffee in the morning, it can lead to extra stress, which is not good for your body. Having coffee too late in the day is also not good as it can keep you up.
Instead, experts say that the best time to drink coffee and have caffeine is after a cortisol spike. So that means late morning and early afternoon are generally the best times as cortisol spikes when you wake up, as well as at lunch. Times vary, but between 9-11 AM is generally the best time, followed by early afternoon.
Of course, this is for the average person that wakes up about 6.30 to 7 AM to go to work.
If your schedule and sleeping patterns are different, then so will the best and effective time to drink coffee. While this doesn't mean you shouldn't drink coffee when you normally are (such as first thing in the morning), it is just showing that it will be less effective.
In conclusion, we hope this article has been able to shed some light on what time of the day is the best for you to consume caffeine.