You wake up tired and all you can think about is getting that first cup of coffee into your system. However, science says that the early a.m. isn’t the most beneficial time to actually drink a cup of coffee!
The scientific reason as to when drinking coffee is the most beneficial to the mind and body, is actually quite interesting. It has to do with a little thing called Chronopharmacology.
Chronopharmacology can be defined as the study of the interaction of biological rhythms and drug action. One of the most important biological rhythms is your circadian clock. This 24-hour clock alters your physiology and behavior in variety of ways but it can also alter many properties of drugs.
Cortisol (often referred to as the “stress” hormone) is a hormone that provides a natural alertness in the body. When cortisol production is at it’s peak, there really is no reason to drink coffee, as you are already approaching your maximal level of alertness naturally. Cortisol peaks for your 24 hour rhythm between 8 and 9 AM on average.
So in short. If you are drinking coffee to increase alertness, than doing so when your bodies cortisol levels are high, is counter productive and you will not receive any benefits from the caffeine.
Images via | Gizmodo
