2-3 Cups of Coffee Per Day Associated with Lower Risk of Depression and Anxiety

by | Nov 2, 2023 | 2023, Brain Health, Caffeine, Depression

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Findings of the meta-analysis using data from the UK Biobank suggests that 2-3 cups of ground coffee per day was associated with the lowest risk of both incident depression and anxiety. 

caffeine - coffeeMental health disorders represent a major public health concern, with more than 300 million people suffering from depression worldwide, and more than 70% of people experiencing anxiety in their lifetimes1. Both anxiety disorders and depressive disorders are of multifactorial origin composed of genetic, environmental, and psychosocial components2. Chronic oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the pathophysiology of these mood disorders, which may cause activation of peripheral macrophages and central microglia, dysfunction of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and hypercortisolemia3.

Research has shown the importance of dietary factors exerting a positive impact on depressive symptoms4. Coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide, and its primary component, caffeine, is recognized as the most widely used psychoactive substance5. Besides caffeine’s ability to stimulate the central nervous system and enhance dopaminergic neurotransmission, several compounds in coffee, such as chlorogenic acid, have been proven to counteract the depressed state via increasing calcium signaling and dopamine release6.

Min et al. conducted a study using data from the UK Biobank to analyze the prospective associations between coffee consumption and incident depression and anxiety. Additionally, they explored whether these association were affected based on coffee subtypes and coffee additives. 146,566 subjects were included in the coffee consumption, coffee subtypes, and mental disorders analysis, while 105,656 participants were included in the coffee additives and mental disorders analysis. All subjects completed physical examinations, blood sample collections, and questionnaires focused on frequency and type of coffee consumption, with one cup of coffee equating to approximately 250 ml. Furthermore, a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire was utilized to collect information on the type of coffee additives used.

Primary study outcomes were incident depression and anxiety, which was measured be the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 questionnaires. Potential confounders included in the analysis were sex, age, ethnicity, education, body mass index, smoking status, sleep duration, tea intake, alcohol consumption, diet score, and history of diabetes or hypertension. Multivariable logistic regression models were utilized to estimate the odds ratio (ORs) and 95% CIs of incident depression and anxiety associated with total coffee consumption, coffee subtypes, and additives used. Restricted cubic spline models were used to assess the dose-response relationship between coffee consumption and depression and anxiety.

146,656 subjects (63,860 men and 82,796 women) with a mean age of 55.9 years (SD, 7.7 years) were included in the final analysis. 48,818 (41.2%) of participants reported drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day, followed by 41,549 (28.3%) of subjects reported drinking 1 cup per day. Significant findings of the study are as follows:

  • A J-shaped association between coffee consumption and depression and anxiety was observed, with the lowest risk of depression and anxiety occurring at approximately 3 cups of coffee per day.
  • A trend towards an increased risk of depression and anxiety was found among subjects drinking more than 6 cups of coffee a day.
  • 2-3 cups of instant coffee per day was found to be associated with incident depression (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83-1.00), but not with incident anxiety (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.85-1.01).
  • Multivariable adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for subjects drinking >1-3 cups of milk-coffee per day compared to non-coffee drinkers were 0.77 (0.70-0.84) for depression and 0.91 (0.82-1.00) for anxiety.

Results of the study using data from the UK Biobank, a large prospective cohort study, show a J-shaped association between coffee consumption and risk of incident depression and anxiety. Additionally, similar risk reductions were noted among participants drinking milk-coffee and unsweetened coffee, while findings among subjects drinking sugar-sweetened and artificial-sweetened coffee were inconsistent. Study limitations include the self-reported nature of coffee consumption and the need for clinical assessment of depression and anxiety diagnoses.

Source: Min, Jiahao, Zhi Cao, Linlin Cui, Feimeng Li, Zuolin Lu, Yabing Hou, Hongxi Yang, Xiaohe Wang, and Chenjie Xu. “The Association Between Coffee Consumption and Risk of Incident Depression and Anxiety: Exploring the Benefits of Moderate Intake.” Psychiatry Research (2023): 115307.

© 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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Posted November 2, 2023.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

References:

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  2. Kupcova I, Danisovic L, Grgac I, Harsanyi S. Anxiety and Depression: What Do We Know of Neuropeptides? Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland). Jul 29 2022;12(8)doi:10.3390/bs12080262
  3. Akpınar Ş, Karadağ MG. Is Vitamin D Important in Anxiety or Depression? What Is the Truth? Curr Nutr Rep. Dec 2022;11(4):675-681. doi:10.1007/s13668-022-00441-0
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