In a new study, scientists have found that natural caffeine has a greater and longer lasting effect than synthetic caffeine in improving cognition and mood.
a group of Clarkson University researchersin New York State, USA, decided to clarify whether there was any difference in the way natural caffeine influenced cognitive function, mood and physiological functions (heart rate, blood pressure and hand-eye coordination) compared to synthetic caffeine.
Synthetic caffeine is what is found in the most popular energy drinks, while natural caffeine is what is found in coffee, tea and other infusions such as yerba mate. In fact, synthetic and natural caffeine are almost indistinguishable; both are chemically identical. The main difference is that synthetic caffeine is produced from urea and chloroacetic acid rather than being extracted from plant products like natural caffeine.
For the research, the scientists compared a drink made from extracts of coffee, tea, yerba mate and adaptogens, such as eleutherocoloccus, rhodiola and chaga mushroom, with a drink containing synthetic caffeine and with a placebo. The researchers found that while both compounds improved cognition and mood, synthetic caffeine initially peaked at 30 minutes and then declined or had a slight dip at 60 and 90 minutes, while natural caffeine had a gradual improvement in performance. that was sustained longer.
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