In the mind again

British researchers who lied to volunteers that the decaffeinated coffee they were drinking had caffeine in it, noticed a significant improvement in performance and mood.

In a series of tests designed to measure mental performance, reaction times and mood, some even did better than volunteers who had consumed coffee with caffeine.

The results suggest that coffee’s pick-me-up powers may be at least partly due to consumers anticipating a caffeine “hit”.
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Such is the expectation that caffeine in coffee will give them a boost that they feel its effects even when there is none, the researchers said.

It is well known that caffeine is a stimulant which works on the brain and can combat drowsiness and fatigue.

Some studies have suggested that three cups of a coffee a day can significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, possibly by triggering a chain reaction in the brain that prevents the damage done by the disease.

According to the British Coffee Association, British consumers drink approximately 70 million cups a day.

The study, by a team from the University of East London, involved 88 volunteers aged between 18 and 47 who were self-confessed coffee lovers, downing at least two cups every day.

The results are published in the journal Appetite
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And how many other things do you do where the idea is what affects you rather than the action or experience itself?.


Andy Bloxham