For many, like myself coffee is more than just a beverage—it’s a daily ritual, a comforting habit, and an essential fuel for tackling the day ahead. Whether you enjoy it as a morning pick-me-up or an afternoon energy boost, coffee has long been associated with wakefulness and productivity. However, beyond its reputation for increasing alertness, emerging research suggests that coffee may also have surprising benefits in reducing stress and improving mental well-being. But is your daily cup of coffee truly a stress reliever, or could it be adding to your anxiety?

Caffeine, the key component of coffee, is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain, which delays the onset of fatigue and keeps you alert. But beyond just keeping you awake, caffeine interacts with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin—two key players in mood regulation. Studies indicate that this interaction may have a positive impact on stress levels and even depression.

A study published in Psychopharmacology found that caffeine consumption can help prevent stress responses in the brain. It does this by inhibiting adenosine receptors that typically contribute to stress-related symptoms such as anxiety, mood swings, and memory impairment. By blocking these receptors, caffeine may help lessen the impact of stressful situations, making you feel more resilient throughout the day.

Can Coffee Help with Depression?

Beyond stress relief, research has shown that caffeine may also play a role in lowering the risk of depression. According to a large-scale study published in Archives of Internal Medicine, women who consumed caffeinated coffee regularly had a lower risk of developing depression compared to those who did not. The study hypothesizes that caffeine increases dopamine release in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain responsible for mood regulation. Since low dopamine levels are linked to depression, this effect could explain why some people feel a noticeable mood boost after drinking coffee.

Coffee’s Role in Reducing Physical Stress

Stress is not just mental; it also has significant physical effects on the body, including elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and heightened cortisol levels. Interestingly, coffee contains antioxidants and polyphenols that may help counteract some of these stress-related symptoms.

According to research from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, coffee’s high antioxidant content can reduce internal inflammation, which plays a major role in stress-related diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Additionally, polyphenols in coffee have been found to improve blood circulation and lower the risk of stroke, making coffee a potentially heart-friendly beverage when consumed in moderation.

When Coffee Increases Stress

While coffee has many potential benefits, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Some individuals are more sensitive to caffeine than others, and excessive consumption can lead to heightened stress levels rather than relief. High doses of caffeine can trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response, causing symptoms such as:

• Increased heart rate
• Jitteriness or restlessness
• Digestive discomfort
• Sleep disturbances

Furthermore, coffee can interfere with calcium, magnesium, and potassium absorption—minerals that play a crucial role in maintaining mental and physical well-being. People who experience heightened anxiety or pre-existing heart conditions should be cautious about their caffeine intake to prevent unnecessary stress on their nervous system.

How Much Coffee Is Too Much?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that most adults can safely consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day—equivalent to about three to five cups of coffee. However, individual tolerance varies, and some people may feel the effects of caffeine more strongly than others. Pregnant women, individuals with heart conditions, or those prone to anxiety should consider reducing their intake or switching to decaf alternatives.

If you’re looking to get the benefits of coffee without the drawbacks, consider drinking it earlier in the day, avoiding excessive sugar, and opting for high-quality, organic coffee to minimize exposure to pesticides and chemicals.

How to Make Coffee Work for You

Instead of relying on coffee as a quick-fix solution to stress, it’s best to integrate it into a balanced lifestyle. Here are some ways to make coffee consumption work in your favor:

Pair coffee with a nutritious diet – Combining coffee with a healthy breakfast can prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes that may contribute to stress.

Stay hydrated – Drinking plenty of water alongside coffee helps counteract dehydration, which can contribute to fatigue and stress.

Monitor your caffeine intake – Pay attention to how your body responds to caffeine and adjust your intake accordingly.

Practice mindfulness with coffee – Enjoy your coffee as a ritual rather than a necessity; taking slow, mindful sips can enhance relaxation.

Coffee Recipe: Iced Pumpkin Spice “Latte” Smoothie

If you want to enjoy the benefits of coffee while keeping it healthy, try this simple, nutrient-packed recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brewed coffee
• ½ cup milk of choice (almond, oat, or dairy)
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or ½ tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup canned pumpkin
• 4 ice cubes

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients until smooth. For sweetness, use a small amount of pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar. This smoothie offers fiber, antioxidants, and the comforting taste of fall—all in a stress-friendly cup!

The answer depends on the individual. While moderate coffee consumption has been linked to lower stress levels, improved mood, and potential protection against depression, excessive intake can have the opposite effect, leading to anxiety and sleep disturbances. As with most things in life, balance is key. Enjoy your coffee mindfully, listen to your body’s response, and integrate other stress-management techniques like exercise, proper sleep, and mindfulness to maintain overall well-being.

So, is a cup of coffee the answer to less stress? It can be—when consumed wisely!

Everything Korean today is a trend. Among all these trends, there is a Korean diet which is going viral because it claims for a rapid weight loss, that too in just 4 weeks!

The diet came on the program called "Switch On Diet", which is created by Dr Yong-Woo Park, known for treating obesity for the last 33 years. The diet "aims to return metabolic abnormalities to normal weight through 4 weeks of practice". The diet claims to promote fat loss and muscle mass retention.

So, What Is This Switch On Diet?

This diet focuses on intermittent fasting and gut health optimization. The diet mainly comprises of protein-heavy meals and also emphasizes on hydration, notes New York Post.

Rule Of Thumb For Switch On Diet

The basic rules include:

• Drink eight glasses of water or two litres of water
• Get at least six hours of sleep
• Consume nutritional supplements
• Practise 10-14 hours of intermittent fasting
• Perform high-intensity workouts at least four times a week
• Have dinner at least 4 hours before bedtime

The program also advises against coffee intake and suggests that one must limit caffeine and alcohol consumption, along with processed food and sugar. The diet also restricts carbohydrates to allow the body to enter a state of ketosis, which is a metabolic state characterized by rapid levels of ketone bodies in the body tissues, which are pathological in conditions, such as diabetes, or the consequence of diet which is very low in carbohydrates. This is when your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose.

How Can You Follow This Diet, Weekly?

Here's a weekly overview of how this diet could be followed:

Week 1 - Detox And Gut Cleansing

The first week focuses mainly on detoxing your body and cleansing your gut. Participants in this phase thus consume protein shake four times a day, for three days. Probiotics too play an essential role by emptying stomach. This is also followed by at least an hour of walking.

What Is Allowed: Cabbage, cucumbers, broccoli, tofu, and unsweetened yogurt. Participants can also consume fish, chicken, pork, eggs, low-fat meat. However, flour, dairy and coffee are not allowed.

Week 2 - Intermittent Fasting

During the second week, participants start fasting for one day, for a total of 24 hours. This fast is broken with a high-protein dinner.

The meal afterwards include a daily lineup of two protein shakes, low-carbs meal, which also includes rice, vegetables, and a no-carb dinner, which is high in protein.

What Is Allowed: White rice, legumes, and a cup of black coffee.

This phase mainly focuses on muscle recovery, and so high-intensity workouts are avoided during this time.

Week 3 and 4 - Fat Burn

In the last two weeks is when the diet goes in its full fledged mode. This is when the focus is solely on the fat-burning process. The week 3 is started with two non-consecutive 24-hour fasting periods. In week 4, these fasting days are up by one extra.

What Is Allowed: Two shakes a day and two low-carbs meal. You can have pumpkins, cherry tomatoes, chestnuts, and berries.

Post-exercise, carb-dense foods like sweet potatoes and bananas are encouraged.

Maintenance is the key

Even after the program is finished, it is important that people maintain their results with a 24-hour fast and a 14-hour fast window once a week.

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. On an average an American drinks about 240 milliliter of coffee in a day and a cup of it generally has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine. The relationship between caffeine intake and people with diabetes has always been up for debate. According to Mayo clinic, caffeine can affect the way your body uses insulin, which could lead to higher or lower blood sugar. While some experts say that it is safe for them to drink coffee in moderation, it depends on each person differently.

If you are a regular coffee drinker, and do not know how to get rid of the habit, this suggestion by Diabetes UK may be of use to you. As there is a common belief that the risk of a person developing type 2 diabetes is based on what kind of diet and lifestyle they follow. When you are at risk of it, you have to make some necessary changes in order to lead a relatively healthy life.

Diabetes UK suggests a surprising switch: choose tea or coffee instead of fruit juice. If you can drink these hot drinks without adding extra sugar, it could be a simple way to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

How Is Coffee Better For Type 2 Diabetes Than Fruit Juice

People with type 2 diabetes have to avoid many things including foods that are perceived to be healthy but tend to have lot of natural sugar. Fruit juices might seem healthy compared to coffee, but many popular brands have a lot of added sugar. Even juices made only from fruit can still have a lot of natural sugars. Experts on diabetes say it's better to eat whole fruits like apples, grapes, and berries instead of drinking their juice. Whole fruits have fiber, which helps your body absorb sugar slowly and stops the quick sugar rushes you get from juice.

We know that fizzy drinks and energy drinks with lots of sugar are linked to problems like type 2 diabetes. Giving up caffeine from these drinks can be hard. If plain tea or coffee doesn't appeal to you, try versions with fewer calories or no added sugar. This can help satisfy your cravings without increasing your diabetes risk. Diabetes UK also points out that even losing a small amount of weight, like 1kg, can help lower your risk.

Important Point To Keep In Mind

It's important to remember that some things that increase your risk of type 2 diabetes are out of your control. Diabetes UK explains that people with African Caribbean, Black African, or South Asian family backgrounds, as well as those who have family members with type 2 diabetes, tend to have a higher chance of developing the condition.

How you make your coffee can also be a game changer. A study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that filtering coffee, like with a paper filter, is better for your health than just boiling the ground and drinking the water. This was especially true for older adults.

However, the Harvard Health Publishing states that “the study is observational and doesn't prove that filtered coffee is healthier than unfiltered coffee, but it makes sense.”. However, it makes sense because unfiltered coffee has things called diterpenes that can raise your cholesterol.

Spices have been a big part of many Asian cuisines for centuries. Not just as foods, but they were also used for their medicinal purposes. Spices like turmeric were often used to make medicinal concoction and other spices like cinnamon, ginger and peppermint are used for their anti-inflammatory qualities.

A new study has revealed that the compound that is responsible for the spiciness in chili pepper not only has anti-inflammatory properties but also has cholesterol lowering potential. Capsaicin, that makes chili peppers spicy has been studied for many years, researchers have found different nuisances of it that make it healthy for consumption.

Beyond its fiery nature, capsaicin exhibits cholesterol-lowering properties and may even play a role in reducing the risk of cancer and arthritis. A 2022 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition investigated capsaicin's impact on cholesterol in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

How Does Capsaicin Lower Cholesterol?

A 2022 publication in Frontiers in Nutrition reviewed nine controlled trials encompassing 461 patients with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that elevate the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart problems. The study found that when these people ate capsaicin, their total cholesterol and the "bad" kind of cholesterol went down a lot.

Other research suggests that eating chilies might be good for our hearts. A study from 2019 looked at what over 22,000 people in Italy ate and their health over about eight years. The study found that people who ate chili peppers more than four times a week were less likely to die from heart problems. This seemed to be true even if they didn't eat a super healthy diet. So, it looks like chilies might have a special way of helping our hearts.

Spicy Foods For Heart Health

While there are studies that show its benefits for heart health, there has been a lot of debate regarding the same. In a study published in the Molecular nutrition and food research 2022 researchers investigated the role of capsaicin for your heart health. The study revealed that it’s not clear yet how eating spicy food and chili peppers affects health.

There might be a link to better metabolism, less death, and fewer heart problems. How much capsaicin someone eats might also change the risk of stomach cancer in a complex way. Usually, it's safe to eat spicy foods and chili peppers. Another study published in the Biomolecules 2022 journal found that people who eat chili peppers often seem to be healthier and live longer. Studies in animals suggest that capsaicin, the hot part of chili peppers, might help prevent metabolic syndrome. It found that while eating a lot of chili peppers is linked to a lower chance of dying from heart problems, capsaicin doesn't clearly change blood sugar or fat levels.