Watan-There’s nothing quite like a hot cup of coffee to wake up the brain in the morning—but for regular coffee drinkers, decaf may be just as effective, according to a new study.
Researchers from institutions in Slovenia and the Netherlands found that both regular and decaffeinated coffee produced similar effects on alertness and brain activity, highlighting the powerful role of expectation and routine.
The study, published in the scientific journal Heliyon and reported by Science Alert, reveals that even when participants drank decaf, they still showed improved cognitive performance—especially in reaction time tests.
Study Design:
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20 healthy college students who drink 1–3 cups of coffee daily participated.
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They were required to:
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Sleep at least 7 hours before the study
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Avoid coffee for 8–11 hours
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Fast for 2 hours prior
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Upon arriving at the lab, participants completed cognitive and auditory tests, and underwent heart rate and EEG monitoring.
They were then split into two groups:
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One received pure decaf
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The other received decaf with added caffeine (6mg/kg of body weight)
Key Findings:
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Both groups experienced increased blood pressure and slower heart rate, which are typical coffee responses.
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No significant improvement was seen in math-based cognitive tests after drinking either coffee.
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Reaction times improved in both groups—even in the decaf group—suggesting that expectation alone can boost alertness.
Researchers noted that the smell and ritual of coffee drinking might trigger the brain’s performance-enhancing responses, even without caffeine. EEG data also showed brainwave increases tied to cognitive function, though this was statistically significant only in the caffeinated group.
Conclusion:
The authors concluded:“Stimuli that closely mimic coffee can produce cognitive and physiological responses similar to those triggered by caffeinated coffee.”
This study indicates that caffeine may not be the only reason coffee helps us feel more alert—our habits, routines, and even the aroma of coffee play a psychological and physiological role in waking us up.
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