The effects of caffeine on depression

Many people are not able to lift the curtain on the day without their dose of caffeine. ButTo what extent does caffeine affect mental health? This question has given rise and continues to give rise to many debates. When it comes to depression, many believe that caffeine can alleviate it, while others warn that it can intensify or make it chronic. In this article we are going to talk precisely about that, the effects of caffeine on depression.

Caffeine is a substance capable of altering our mood. It is found in the world’s most popular beverages, including tea, coffee, energy drinks, and many soft drinks. It is so ubiquitous that it is easy to forget that it is a psychoactive drug. This means that caffeine changes brain function, mood, and behavior.

Coffee and tea: effects of caffeine on depression

There is a good volume of literature with data that supports the hypothesis that Caffeine is beneficial in reducing the risk of depression. For example, a major meta-analysis – including more than 346,000 participants – that examined the link between caffeine and depression found that caffeine, particularly in coffee, was protective against depression. He also found that coffee worked better than tea, probably due to the latter’s lower caffeine content.

Another meta-analysis – 330,000 participants – also concluded that coffee and caffeine consumption were significantly associated with a lower risk of depression. Studies also showed that the risk of depression as a result of caffeine intake actually decreased when people increased their daily caffeine intake.

Part of the reason coffee appears to be more effective than tea is because some of its components can counteract the negative effects of depression.. Coffee contains chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid and caffeic acid. These acids may reduce the inflammation of nerve cells that occurs in the brains of people with depression.

Along with the natural antioxidant properties of caffeine, Coffee can act as an anti-inflammatory on affected parts of the brain. This can relieve some of the discomfort and distress caused by depression. However, not all tea is less effective than coffee at reducing the risk of depression. Green tea, with its high antioxidant properties, may be as effective as coffee in protecting against depression.

Green tea also contains folate (vitamin B9), polyphenols and theanine, substances that can help against depression:

It is believed that Folate is a facilitator -stimulant- of moods of positive valence.Polyphenols have antidepressant properties. Theanine has been shown to increase dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain.

How does caffeine relieve symptoms of depression?

What there is no doubt about is that caffeine is a molecule with a fascinating power to alter the chemistry of our brain.. The fact is that we don’t have all the answers regarding depression. Prevailing theories advocate the idea that depression is caused by chemical imbalance (neurotransmitters), brain inflammation, underlying health conditions, genetic predisposition, emotional trauma, or stressful life circumstances.

Although caffeine does not address all of these potential causes, there are two main ways in which the effects of caffeine on depression are beneficial, especially through its positive way of acting in relation to the brain. On one side, caffeine increases mood-boosting brain chemicals. Additionally, caffeine easily reaches the brain, where it alters the activity of two neurotransmitters of particular importance for depression, dopamine and serotonin.

Serotonin is the neurotransmitter most closely linked to depression. However, there is evidence that serotonin levels are eventually depleted by regular caffeine consumption, so regular caffeine consumption may not be a good long-term strategy for treating serotonin-based depression.

Caffeine also increases dopamine, the neurotransmitter most closely associated with motivation, focus, and productivity. On the other hand, abnormal dopamine levels can also be a cause of depression.

The anti-inflammatory effect of caffeine

Compared to the theory of chemical imbalance, another is making way: the one that defends that depression would be the result of chronic inflammation of the brain. The brain has its own immune system, whose messengers, cytokines, can activate inflammation in the brain, destroy tissue and alter brain function.

The release of pro-inflammatory cytokines can contribute to depression, anxiety, memory loss, inability to concentrate, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and increased risk of suicide.

Coffee contains a large amount of anti-inflammatory compounds that can reduce brain inflammation associated with depressionsuch as chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, nicotinic acid, trigonelline, quinolinic acid, tannic acid and pyrogallic acid.

Possible negative effects of caffeine on depression

Not all experts agree that the effects of caffeine on depression are positive. Many argue that caffeine can actually make us more vulnerable. In this sense, excessive caffeine intake can cause anxiety, headaches, increased blood pressure, palpitations, nausea and restlessness.

Each of these symptoms is related to the body’s “fight or flight” response. If this response is triggered too often by caffeine, it could lead to inflammation and disease.

Several studies have also shown a connection between coffee intake and an increase in depression. For example, one study found that caffeine consumption could even worsen depression in people with mood disorders. The study highlighted a trend toward greater anxiety, especially with people prone to panic attacks.

We must not forget that Caffeine only provides a temporary boost to the nervous system. As a result, people with depression may experience a more severe drop in mood once the caffeine wears off.

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