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When Is the Best Time to Drink Coffee?

If it was possible, I know some people who would prefer their morning caffeine by IV! Is it best to get that cup o’ joe as your alarm goes off or is there a better, healthier way?

An article in the National Post says you’re better off drinking your bionic fuel at specific times of the day. In working with your internal sleep/wake clock (called the circadian rhythm), you’re better off drinking coffee between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 and 5:00 p.m. These are the times when your ‘alert’ hormone (called cortisol) is at its lowest. Your cortisol levels are at their highest between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m., 12:00 and 1:00 p.m., and 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Cortisol, the alert hormone, is something that our bodies make naturally. The National Post article suggests that if you have your caffeine hit during the high times, your body can slow down its own production, so it’ll take an extra large bucket of espresso to give you the boost that you’re looking for.

Caffeine can also disrupt your sleep up to six hours after consuming it, so drinking it later in the day may not be the best idea.

Another story about coffee recently reported in Bloomberg says that a chemical found in coffee, acrylamide, is a “probable human carcinogen”. In the state of California, there needs to be a warning displayed for consumers. According to the World Health Organization, acrylamide is a byproduct of roasting coffee beans and can be found in high levels in brewed coffee. Acrylamide is also found in other foods like toast and prune juice. Some feel this warning is misleading, so we will see how this one plays out!

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