Coffee consumption, whether it's regular or decaf, has an impact on your gut microbiome. The changes in your gut microbiome directly affects your mood, cognitive ability and stress levels.
A recent study was conducted to determine how coffee interacts with the gut microbiome. The participants included 31 coffee drinkers and 31 non-coffee drinkers. Both groups underwent a series of psychological tests and detailed in journals their daily food and coffee intake.
Coffee drinkers stopped drinking coffee for two weeks and then picked it up again; after this hiatus, their gut bacteria behaved differently than the non-drinkers. Researchers noted that the coffee drinkers had higher levels of the helpful bacteria Eggertella and Cryptobecterium curtum. Both of these bacteria are crucial in the release of gastric acids as well as creating bile. These functions help the body remove harmful bacteria and keep inflammation in check. Lower levels of perceived stress and depression were also noted by regular and decaf coffee drinkers.
Decaf drinkers and regular drinkers did receive different benefits from their preferred brew. Lowered anxiety and better focus was reported by regular coffee drinkers while their decaf counterparts had noticeable improvements in their cognitive abilities.
