The effect of coffee on the body could be a placebo effect

Some effects of consuming coffee may not be related to caffeine and could be influenced by psychological expectations and habits. Portuguese researchers came to these conclusions after studying 47 individuals who consumed at least one cup of coffee daily.

Initially, the volunteers were asked to abstain from coffee for a period of time, followed by brain scans. Afterward, the participants were divided into two groups: one group consumed coffee, while the other group received pure caffeine. The brain scans were repeated afterward.

It was discovered that both the beverage and pure caffeine stimulated areas of the prefrontal cortex that are associated with memory, while also reducing activity in the brain's default mode network, which is activated during inactivity and introspection. This indicates that caffeine does have an invigorating effect.

Furthermore, those who consumed coffee exhibited more activity in areas related to visual information processing, short-term memory, and other higher cognitive functions. Pure caffeine did not have the same impact on the body. These changes could be attributed to the act of drinking itself, as well as the taste, aroma, and placebo effect.