The IAA One Minute Blog

A new study argues that it is not caffeine alone that provides that much needed daily jolt.

The Act of Drinking Coffee

Caffeine by itself does activate some regions of the brain associated with readiness to tackle tasks, researchers said. But the act of drinking coffee produced a more comprehensive response in the brain, results of a new study showed.

People who took a basic caffeine pill did not experience the same sort of brain boost they did from sipping a cup of coffee, according to the brain scans.

For the study, researchers recruited a group of people who typically drink at least one cup of coffee daily. They asked them to refrain from eating or drinking caffeinated beverages for at least three hours before going into the lab.

Researchers then performed two MRI scans, one before and another a half-hour after the participant took either a caffeine pill or drank a cup of coffee. During the MRI scans, the participants were asked to relax and let their minds wander.

The scientists expected that the participants would experience a higher integration of networks that are linked to the pre-frontal cortex (associated with executive memory) and the default mode network (which is involved in introspection and self-reflection processes).

The connectivity of the default mode network decreased both after drinking coffee and after taking caffeine which indicates that consuming either made people more prepared to move from resting to working on tasks, the researchers said. But only drinking coffee increased connectivity in parts of the brain associated with working memory, cognitive control and goal-oriented behavior, the results showed.

So, if a person wants to feel more than just alert, caffeine alone will not do the trick, the researchers concluded.  The experience of a cup of coffee is essential.

The study was published in “Behavioral Neuroscience.”

Too Much Caffeine?

Signs that you have had too much coffee include:

• Agitation
• Dehydration
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Shaking
• Trouble sleeping

Four out of five adults consume coffee daily.

What IAA has to Say

Insurance Administrator of America knows you enjoy that morning cup of java, just make sure not to go overboard! Remember, with IAA one call does it all.