When is the best time to drink coffee? Experts reveal the ‘golden’ time

When is the best time to drink coffee in the morning?

Many people often have the habit of enjoying a cup the coffee right after waking up to help the body wake up and get energy for a new day.

However, there are many reasons that you should wait a few hours after waking up to drink your first cup of coffee of the day. This will help you prolong the beneficial effects of caffeine without the side effects.

This problem has to do with cortisol, the stress hormone that the body naturally releases in the morning, along with adrenaline, the hormone that provides energy and keeps the body focused and alert.

Cardiovascular surgeon Steven Gundry of the Center for Regenerative Medicine, International Heart and Lung Institute, said: “The level of cortisol, as well as epinephrine (adrenaline) in the body usually begins to gradually increase around 4 a.m. to help prepare the body for the new day.

“Both of these hormones raise blood sugar (glucose), so your body already has a significant source of energy.”

Besides the above two hormones, if you add caffeine to the body, this combination can create conflict and make the body more restless than usual.

Dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman said: “Science says you should avoid caffeine at peak cortisol so the two don’t go against each other and cause negative effects on the body. [như cảm giác bồn chồn]”.

“Basically, we should let the caffeine in coffee do its job and not be affected by the strong effects of cortisol.”

Dietitian and author of ‘Women’s Health Body Clock Diet’, Laura Cipullo, expressed a similar opinion on CNBC News. “In my opinion, you should limit drinking coffee as soon as you wake up,” says Cipullo.

According to Cipullo, the best time to get caffeine in your body is when your cortisol levels start to drop—that’s about three to four hours after you wake up.

In this way, you will receive a ‘boost’ energy when the natural energy in the body starts to decline.

If you still feel sluggish when you have to wait a few hours for your coffee, expert Beckerman suggests you can shorten the wait.

According to Beckerman’s advice, the best time to drink coffee at the beginning of the day is 1 hour after waking up.

The alertness and focus produced by cortisol tend to peak 30 to 45 minutes after waking. Therefore, waiting for about 1 hour will help you enjoy the ‘real caffeine effect’.

Another good reason you should wait a while after waking up to drink coffee is that drinking coffee on an empty stomach can be harmful to health. In particular, in the long term it can harm the digestive system, affect the nervous system and affect the circadian rhythm.

3 golden times to drink coffee

9:30 am -11:30 am

The best time to drink coffee is believed to be between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. because this is when people’s cortisol levels are lower. Cortisol is a hormone that can enhance alertness and focus. It also regulates metabolism, immune system response, and blood pressure.

This hormone works in a certain cycle, it peaks after waking up about 30-45 minutes and decreases during the day.

Although caffeine can increase cortisol, the long-term health effects of this are unknown so further investigation is needed.

Drink 30-60 minutes before exercise

Coffee is known for its ability to promote alertness but few people know that this beverage is also an exercise booster because of its caffeine content.

Several studies have demonstrated that caffeine can delay exercise fatigue and improve overall strength and muscle strength.

If you’re looking to optimize the effects of coffee on exercise performance, it’s best to drink it 30-60 minutes before exercise. This is the time it takes for caffeine to peak in your body.

The effective dose of caffeine to improve exercise performance is 3-6mg per kilogram of body weight. For example, for a person weighing 68 kg, this is equivalent to about 475-950 ml (2-4 cups of coffee).

1-3 pm

After 1 p.m., your cortisol levels start to drop. If you feel drowsy within 1 hour, enjoy a cup of coffee.

Note, should not drink coffee after 3 pm because drinking late will cause insomnia at night. To avoid caffeine’s disruptive effects on sleep, you should avoid consuming caffeine for at least 6 hours before bedtime.

Note when drinking coffee

– Do not drink coffee with meals or immediately after meals. This can interfere with the absorption of iron in the body.

– Only drink coffee 1 hour before meals. This is especially true when you drink coffee containing sugar and milk.

In addition, do not drink coffee in the evening because it can affect your sleep. You may feel restless and have trouble sleeping.

Healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine per day, while pregnant and lactating women can safely consume up to 300 mg per day, with some studies suggesting 200 mg as the limit. safety term.