The Case for Your Second Cup of Coffee

Percolate Up: Need another reason to keep drinking coffee? A new study found drinking a moderate amount of coffee a day (two to three cups) could lower your risk of depression and anxiety and reduce stress. 

The Study: Researchers analyzed data from nearly 462,000 participants from the UK Biobank, aged 40 to 69 in good mental health at the start of the research. There were three comparison groups: those who drank a moderate amount of coffee, more than three cups, and zero coffee. The researchers followed up 13 years later to see who’d been diagnosed with a mood or stress-related disorder. Drinking two to three cups a day was associated with the lowest risk of a mental health disorder.

The Takeaway: The type of coffee didn’t matter — instant, decaf, or regular ground. Drinking five or more cups a day was linked to a much higher risk, but zero cups were tied to worse depression and stress rates. The association between coffee and mood was more pronounced in men, though researchers aren’t totally clear why.

The Study: Coffee isn’t guaranteed to prevent a mental health condition, nor can it treat one. And one cup is about 8 ounces, not venti-size.