Harvard Study: Coffee Consumption Might Lower The Risk Of Suicide By About 50%

Coffee does wonders.

In a recent study by Harvard School of Public Health, it has been said that drinking several cups of coffee daily can reduce the risk of suicide by about 50%. This is applicable to both male and female. The study was published online on 2 July in The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry.

According to the Harvard Gazette, the study was done by reviewing three large groups of data collected in the USA within a 20 years time frame.

• 43,599 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) (1988–2008)
• 73,820 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) (1992–2008)
• 91,005 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHSII) (1993–2007)

The authors of the study found that adults who drank two to four cups of caffeinated coffee in a day have a lower risk of suicide (about 50%) as compared to their counterparts who drank decaf or very little to no coffee.

The lead researcher believes that caffeine is the element behind these effects. They further explained that caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and can act as a mild antidepressant by boosting production of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, including serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline. It has also been reported in older studies that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of depression.

In the data that were analysed, the informants’ main source of caffeine was coffee. However, the researchers do not recommend depressed adults to increase their caffeine intake as most individuals adjust their caffeine intake to suit them and an increase could result in some unpleasant side effects.

What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments!

Also read: Research: Women Who Drink 2-3 Cups of Coffee A Day May Have Less Body Fat