The Strategist

Coffee is a Time Machine for Human Body



09/17/2015 - 16:50



A cup of espresso after dinner not only invigorates and allows going to bed later, but also bust the internal clock of the human body. This was discovered by American scientists, authors of the article in Science Translational Medicine journal.



pixabay.com
pixabay.com
The researchers found that a double espresso, drunk before going to sleep, disrupts the internal clock by about 40 minutes back. The impact of caffeine on the body has been studied for a long time, however, the fact, that it is able to change the biological rhythms, was confirmed and scientifically justified only now.

Five people participated in the experiment. In just a few hours before the time when they usually go to sleep, they were given a caffeine pill or placebo. The observations revealed that caffeine acts much like a bright light, which is one of the most studied instrument for changing of biological rhythms.

The researchers also found that caffeine helps to cope with the negative health condition, which is called jetlag and is caused by sudden and frequent changes of time zones. Timely reception of coffee and caffeinated beverages contributes to faster habituation to the new schedule of day and night daily. For example, a cup coffee at night is useful after a long trip from east to west.

source: sciencemag.org