Which Adders are Worth the Price of a Cup of Coffee?
A new study suggests that adding up all the ingredients in a cup of coffee could save a person from having to face the harsh reality of life without a partner.
The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, surveyed over 200 people in the U.S. who said they have tried dating without a romantic partner, including many who had suffered depression.
It was the first study to examine whether adding up the ingredients of coffee in a shot can have an impact on depression.
The researchers asked participants to choose between coffee and alcohol, but also found that adding the ingredient of alcohol could have an effect on depression symptoms.
The participants who were given the alcohol added up to 7 percent more alcohol than those who did not.
But when they were asked to weigh the pros and cons of adding coffee, they chose coffee over alcohol by about two-to-one.
“There is no reason to believe that adding alcohol to a coffee drink can make people more depressed,” lead author Matthew O’Leary, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, said in a statement.
“Instead, we suggest that adding coffee to a cup may actually make them less depressed.”
The researchers also found a correlation between adding coffee and depression symptoms and the number of days a person was feeling depressed.
Participants who were able to weigh up the pros of coffee and the cons of drinking alcohol had lower depression symptoms, and the effect was even stronger for women.
O’Leary said the research was the best proof that adding a shot of coffee can have a positive impact on mental health.
“The fact that the effect of adding alcohol is stronger for men is interesting,” he said.
“We can’t prove it is just women, but it is interesting.”
A spokesperson for the American Psychological Association said the association was not aware of the study.
Oberlin University School of Medicine psychologist Dr. John Binder said it was important to remember that the people in this study had not experienced depression themselves.
“This study is interesting because it shows that adding caffeine to coffee may help people feel better, and may even lead to a reduction in depression symptoms,” Binder told Reuters Health.