Ikigai Lavington member, Melalite, has a latte at least twice a day. The reason, she says, is not because it helps her to be more productive, but because it’s delicious! Roasted Truth prides itself in brewing drinks that are not only beneficial to your taste buds but to your mind as well. Whether or not you have a coffee for pleasure, we would like to take you through what happens when you dose yourself with caffeine and how you can time it well enough to maximize your productivity.
This will get scientific, so hang on tight. All of us have a biological circadian (24-hour) clock that affects how we move, eat, sleep, stay alert and remain productive. It is controlled by a tiny part of our complex brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), affected by several factors such as light and temperature and is responsible for several bodily functions including regulating hormones. One of the hormones SCN controls is cortisol, also dubbed as the “stress” hormone. At natural peak levels of cortisol (8:00–9:00 am, 12:00–1:00 pm and 5:30–6:30 pm), you’re more alert and therefore more productive. You might think that your double shot coffee will enhance this even more, but it doesn’t. At high cortisol levels, coffee has a diminishing effect. This is because caffeine, like any other drug, works best when needed. Consuming coffee when your body can work well without the extra caffeine, only causes you to become more tolerant of it. This is probably why your morning cup of coffee doesn’t get you buzzed anymore.
For most of us, our circadian clock signals for cortisol to start production as soon as we wake up. In fact, in the first few hours of being awake, cortisol is at peak levels – which is hard to believe because if you’re like me those early hours can be brutal without coffee. So then, when is the best time if not with your breakfast or on your way to work? Scientifically, the “best” time to drink is in between these periods. Specifically, 9:30–11:30 am and in the afternoon after lunch. If you’re a night owl, a cup past 6:30 pm could help you burn the midnight oil although we would hate to recommend a sleepless and uneasy night, as caffeine can stay in the system for up to 12 hours.
Science aside, if you’re like Melalite, there’s no such thing as the best time to drink coffee. The pleasures of sipping your favorite cup have no timings and are completely up to you but if you’re keen on getting your caffeine fix, head on over to Roasted Truth and order yours between 9:30–11:30 am. It could be a game-changer – just like the first time you took a sip.
This piece was written by our talented barista and community associate, Marion Muthiani! Stop by Roasted Truth to enjoy a cup of specialty coffee or lunch brewed by Marion in our collaborative office space at Ikigai Lavington.
Espresso. Cappuccino. Aeropress. V60.
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