Drinking coffee won't grind you down.
In fact, it may even cut the suicide rate in half.
At least that's what fresh research from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) suggests.
Published in the World Journal of Biological Psychiatry earlier this month, the study looks at data from more than 200,00 men, using questionnaires to gauge their caffeine intake every four years. In the course of three studies, there were 277 deaths from suicide.
“Unlike previous investigations, we were able to assess association of consumption of caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages, and we identify caffeine as the most likely candidate of any putative protective effect of coffee,” lead researcher Michel Lucas said in a press release.
Study authors hastened to add that depressed adults shouldn't be boosting their caffeine consumption because individuals naturally adjust their caffeine intake. Anything more could lead to side effects.
“Overall, our results suggest that there is little further benefit for consumption above two to three cups/day or 400 mg of caffeine/day,” the authors wrote.
It's not the first time, coffee has has been linked to mental health.
In 2011, a Harvard Medical team studied the coffee-swilling habits of 50,000 women and noted those who drank two or more cups a day were less likely to get depressed.
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