When is the most refreshing time for coffee?

Neuroscientists at the University of Health Sciences Unified Services in Maryland have calculated that the best time to drink coffee is between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. This is because caffeine's interaction with an important hormone in the body (cortisol, also known as hydrocortisone) is optimal during this time. Cortisol helps the body regulate its own internal clock and increases alertness. Cortisol levels peak shortly after people wake up and can remain high for up to an hour, averaging between 8 and 9 a.m. The researchers think drinking coffee after this peak is better because it boosts cortisol production when cortisol levels drop.

When is coffee most refreshing?

In addition, drinking coffee when cortisol levels in the body are at their highest can create caffeine tolerance, so drinking more coffee can have a refreshing effect. There is a similar view in pharmacology that drugs should be taken when they are most needed, otherwise the body will develop resistance. That is to say, drinking coffee at breakfast has no significant refreshing effect.

Cortisol levels peaked between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., but peaked again between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. and between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., the researchers noted. In addition, the body's cortisol content will also be related to people's physique and work schedule, people who wake up late should drink coffee time later.