coffee
We all know to switch to decaf in the evening. But why is that? New research might give us the answer.
Caffeine actually disrupts the internal body clock, according to a study published in Science Translational Medicine. In the study, researchers gave participants the equivalent of a double espresso and tested their levels of melatonin (which regulates sleep) in a variety of circumstances. They found the caffeine actually pushed back their internal clocks by about 40 minutes.
In a twist, the researchers also note caffeine might be useful to fight jet lag.
“It is possible that caffeine … could help with eastward jet lag, something that needs to be tested,” study researcher Kenneth Wright of the University of Colorado was quoted as saying.