NEW YORK TIMES: Morning pick-me-up? For many women, the mood-elevating effects of a cup of coffee may be more than fleeting.
A new study shows that women who regularly drink coffee — the fully caffeinated kind — have a 20 percent lower risk of depression than nondrinkers. Decaf, soft drinks, chocolate, tea and other sources of caffeine did not offer the same protection against depression, possibly because of their lower levels of caffeine, the authors say.
Dr. Albert Ascherio, an author of the study and professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said it was too early to recommend that women load up on extra lattes. More research is needed, he said, and “a very high level of caffeine can increase anxiety” and insomnia, potentially reversing any mood-lifting effects… (more)
EDITOR: Yes, caffeine is a drug and people drink it to self medicate. To see how it compares to marijuana, cocaine, heroin and alcohol, visit http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Addictive_Properties
