I’ve written about a lot of things — sparkling water, quitting soda, and wine, just to name a few. Along the way I may have given the impression that I’m the kind of person who is deliberate about what I drink.
Guilty as charged, but if there’s one beverage that tops all others in my life, it’s coffee. I drink a lot of it.
So, a new study out of University College Cork caught my attention because I’m always in favor of science that tells me the things I already do are good for me.
That said, this finding comes with a bit of a twist beyond the usual “coffee is good for you” story.
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Researchers gave participants one of three things each morning: caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, or a placebo.
Then they tracked what happened to the participants’ gut microbiomes — the ecosystem of bacteria that researchers have spent the last decade linking to everything from inflammation to mental health.
Both coffee groups showed meaningful changes in gut bacteria compared to the placebo group, including increases in Lactobacillus, a strain associated with reduced stress and better mood.
