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(Image source: Wikimedia Commons / Julius Schorzman)
BY MATT PICHT
Good news for caffeine addicts: A new study out of Harvard University says drinking coffee
can reduce the risk of suicide.
The study, which was published in The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, used data
from three different surveys to examine the caffeine consumption of over 200,000 people.
Drinking two to three cups of caffeinated coffee a day cut chances of suicide by 50
percent in study participants.
Researchers believe caffeine in the coffee "may act as a mild antidepressant by boosting production
of certain neurotransmitters in the brain," leading to a lower risk of depression. (Via Harvard
University)
Time points out this study joins a slew
of new research touting the benefits of caffeinated beverages.
"To hear most recent research tell it, coffee is a miracle drink. The magic beans will ward
off skin cancer and Alzheimer's, reduce heart failure and diabetes risks, heighten focus,
and maybe even protect liver health. ... Regardless, we'll raise our mugs to this most recent study
for giving us one more validation for our vice."
But if you're feeling blue, don't reach for the coffee pitcher just yet. The Independent warns
most people's bodies adapt to a standard level of caffeine, and a dramatic spike in coffee-drinking
can have negative side effects.
Although this latest study couldn't pinpoint the optimal amount of caffeine for lowering
depression, an earlier Harvard study suggested four cups of coffee a day had the maximum
effect.