Coffee hit could be all in the mind

THE caffeine hit relied on by so many people to make it through the day could be all in the mind, new research out of Britain shows.

In a series of tests designed to measure mental performance, reaction times and mood, volunteers were lied to when given a cup of decaffeinated coffee, being told it contained caffeine.

The results suggest that a coffee hit could be due at least in part to consumer anticipation, said researchers, whose findings were published in the journal Appetite and replicated in British newspaper The Daily Telegraph.

"Such is the expectation that caffeine in coffee will give them a boost that they feel its effects when there is none," the researchers said.

The study, undertaken by a team from the University of East London, used 88 volunteers aged between 18 years and 47 years, each of whom were confessed coffee consumers.

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