Daily coffee drinking and mental health outcomes: Sex differences and the role of caffeine metabolism genotypes

Recent research evaluates the complexities surrounding coffee consumption and its impact on mental health, with a focus on mood and stress disorders. Given the mixed outcomes in previous population-based studies, this investigation leverages data from the UK Biobank to clarify these associations and to assess the role of sex and genetic differences in caffeine metabolism.

The study analyzed data from 461,586 individuals, comprising 46.4% men with an average age of 57 years and an average BMI of 27.3 kg/m2. Over a median tracking period of 13.4 years, researchers identified 18,220 new cases of mood disorders and 18,547 stress disorder incidents. Key findings reveal a J-shaped relationship between coffee consumption and mental health, indicating that moderate coffee intake, defined as two to three cups per day, is linked to the lowest risk of developing these disorders.

Interestingly, the study found gender-specific variations, with men experiencing a more noticeable association between coffee drinking and reduced risk of mood disorders (P for interaction = 0.02). However, no significant modification by caffeine metabolism genotypes was evident, highlighting that genetic factors related to caffeine processing do not substantially alter the relationship between coffee and mental health outcomes.

These findings suggest that moderate coffee consumption may offer protective benefits against certain mental disorders, although gender differences warrant further investigation to understand underlying mechanisms more comprehensively. [NPID: coffee, caffeine, mental health, mood, stress]

Year: 2026

Reference: Song, B. R., Xu, X., Chen, J., Wang, Y., Chen, Y., Zhang, Z., Han, C., Dong, H., Gao, X., & Sun, L. (2026). Daily coffee drinking and mental health outcomes: Sex differences and the role of caffeine metabolism genotypes. Journal of Affective Disorders, 399, 120992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.120992

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