Therisk of depression in women decreases when consumption of caffeinated coffee increases, according to a study published inArchives of Internal Medicine.
Thecaffeine is the most consumed central nervous system stimulant in the world, and about 80 percent of consumption is in the form of coffee. Previous research, which included a prospective study among men, has already suggested an association between coffee consumption and the risk of depression.
Dr. Michel Lucas, from the Harvard School of Public Health (USA), and his collaborators studied 50,739 women who participated in theNurses’ Health Study. The participants, who averaged 63 years of age, did not have depression at the start of the study in 1996 and were followed prospectively until June 2006. The researchers measured caffeine consumption through questionnaires between May 1980 and April 2004, including the frequency in which ccaffeinated and caffeine-free afé, non-herbal tea, caffeinated or caffeine-free sodas, non-alcoholic beverages, and chocolate.
Data on caffeine consumption from 1980 to 1994 were used to predict episodes of clinical depression from 1996 to 1998, consumption from 1980 to 1998 was used for the period 1998 to 2000 and so on. During the 10-year follow-up between 1996 and 2006, the researchers identified 2,607 new cases of depression.
Compared to women who drank one cup of caffeinated coffee or less per week,those who drank two to three cups a day had a 15 percent reduction in risk of depression, and those who drank four or more cups a day had a 20 percent reduction in relative risk.
The authors call for more research to confirm their results and determine whether regular consumption of caffeinated coffee can contribute to the prevention or treatment of depression.
