Black magic

If this isn’t your holiday season, the next few weeks are still potentially a time of longer hours and more social obligations. We can certainly dig into what that means for your nutrition - oof! - and I can potentially give you a red light on nature’s kickstand - coffee. Thanks to the work of Science Vs and their deep dive into over a hundred research papers in this episode, a few extra cups may not be that alarming, depending on how you personally synthesize caffeine. Here are the stats:

Pro

• Can make you poop;

• Stimulates neurotransmitters such as dopamine that improve your mood;

• Blocks sleep-inducing adenosine;

• On average, it delays sleep by 30 minutes or less for the first cup and only 15 minutes per additional cup if you're a fast metabolizer of caffeine;

• Coffee drinkers averaged 1,000 more steps a day, which may translate to fantastic health benefits;

• Dials down the perception of pain;

• Some evidence that caffeine can increase your cell's calcium release, which could improve the force of muscle contractions;

• Even coffee drinkers who drink eight cups a day live longer than non-drinkers, according to one study;

• People who drink coffee have a lower risk of Parkinson's Disease, depression, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, and although we once erroneously thought coffee was carcinogenic, it actually might reduce your risk of some cancers like liver and breast cancer (Check the transcript for citations);

Con:

• Can make you poop (well, I mean, sometimes that's not super convenient);

• It does not sharpen your sense of humor;

• If you're a slow metabolizer, it can delay sleep by an hour or more;

• Can lead to dependency (not addiction);

• Too much can leave you feeling anxious;