coffee

So-called after-caffeine drinkers are indeed impaired on driving tests but coffee is not the main culprit, according to new research.

Those who drink more than eight cups of coffee a day do not show any more accident risk than non-drinkers, a US study found.

How much coffee do you consume?

However, that does not mean we should feel guilty about ordering that extra shot of espresso.

“While coffee can be habit-forming, it is not something that is dangerous in the vast majority of people,” said Adrian Schubert from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who led the study.

“If we have a cup of coffee, it shouldn’t necessarily be because we feel guilty about something – rather we should think that it’s a good opportunity to escape our normal mental state for a moment and maybe think about something other than what’s troubling us.”

But he stressed that coffee should not be treated like a magic drink that will solve all the mental health issues.

“For people who drink much cup coffee, eight cups a day is too much, especially in the absence of previous exposures to coffee – which may influence development,” he said.

The study examined people aged 16-70 who were given blood and urine tests to see if they had any blood or urine markers for caffeine – found in coffee and other foods and drinks such as tea and chocolate – over a 24-hour period.

The study found that higher caffeine intake did correlate with higher blood concentrations of caffeine, but that neither did it correlate with accident risk.

“If coffee affects your behaviour in ways other than that it improves your cognitive performance and your ability to drive a car, then people should stop drinking coffee only mental stimulant, he added.

“We need to acknowledge that there are numerous situations where drinking coffee will have a calming effect, such as during a stressful time at work, but then we also need to acknowledge that alcohol has a multitude of mental health benefits – and it shouldn’t be used indiscriminately.