Most people consume caffeinated beverages regularly. It’s hard to get through the workday without the pick-me-ups. Scientists have now researched the effects of caffeine on our brain, specifically on the gray matter of the brain.
What does caffeine do to our brain?
According to Statista, the per capita consumption of coffee in Germany recently totaled 164 liters per year. This makes coffee the most popular hot drink among Germans. Caffeine is also considered to be the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance. A study by the University of Basel has now shown that regular caffeine consumption has a negative effect on the gray matter and the hippocampus. Why too much coffee is unhealthy has been known for a long time.
According to a statement from the University of Basel, the basis of the caffeine study was that previous studies had shown that sleep deprivation affects the gray matter in the human brain. The research team led by Christian Cajochen and Carolin Reichert from the University of Basel and the Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Basel has therefore investigated the influence of regular caffeine consumption due to sleep disorders on the brain structure.
The result of the study was that regular caffeine consumption makes changes in the gray matter visible. An important part of the central nervous system is, in addition to the white, also the gray brain substance, which is responsible for processing signals from the sensory organs and for regulating motor processes, motivation, drive and the psyche. In addition to intelligence, the gray matter controls all motor performance and perception processes, explains the online encyclopedia operated by doctors
Caffeine affects our “cognitive hardware”
The scientific study was conducted with 20 young and healthy subjects, all of whom consumed caffeine daily. The subjects were divided into two groups, with the first group being fed caffeine pills twice for ten days and the other being fed a placebo drug, also in pill form. The sleep quality was then analyzed with the help of brain scans (EEG).
The researchers found that the sleep quality of the two groups was relatively the same, but there were clear differences in the gray matter of the brain: the volume of the gray matter in the brain was visibly reduced in the caffeine group. Part of the so-called medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus, was particularly important. These regions are responsible for our memory. So does coffee make us more forgetful? Not necessarily.
The study leader Reichert emphasized in this context: “Our results do not necessarily mean that caffeine consumption has negative effects on the brain. But obviously everyday caffeine consumption changes our cognitive hardware.” In addition, the change appears to be only temporary: after just ten days of caffeine withdrawal, the test subjects’ gray matter had regenerated significantly.
Further investigations necessary
However, the research team warns that more scientific research is needed in this area because the impact on how the brain actually works is not yet clear. The scientists conclude that further study should look at how the brain reacts to the loss of gray matter and whether this causes it to become less functional. In addition, according to Reichert, there are still no comparisons between coffee drinkers and people who consume little or no coffee at all.
