Dr. Rhonda Patrick

People who consume their coffee exclusively in the morning show significant longevity benefits compared to those who spread caffeine throughout the day.

Specifically, morning coffee drinkers experience a 12% lower risk of death from all causes and an impressive 31% lower risk of cardiovascular-related death compared to non-coffee drinkers.

Spreading your coffee throughout the day, so in the morning, afternoon, and evening, didn't show the same health benefits.

The protective effect seems unique to starting your day with coffee rather than drinking it continuously throughout the day.

So why the morning?

It really comes down largely to circadian biology, the internal clock governing our sleep-awake cycles, hormone release, metabolism.

So caffeine consumed late in the day powerfully disrupts this clock.

There's controlled laboratory studies that show that caffeine taken within about three hours of natural bedtime shifts the internal clock later by roughly 45 minutes to an hour.

So this is like giving yourself a mini dose of jet lag every day.

The result delayed melatonin release, disrupted sleep patterns, reduced deep sleep quality, and ultimately compromised health.

But caffeine consumed early in the day actually works with your natural circadian rhythm.

It supports alertness, it reinforces stable cortisol timing, and it may help anchor your internal clock, optimizing your metabolism and cardiovascular health.

So there seems to be a clear takeaway protocol for coffee timing.

Consuming caffeine early, so aiming to stop caffeine at least eight to 10 hours before your natural bedtime.

For most people, that means cutting off caffeine around noon or the early afternoon.

You also want to keep it moderate.

So two to three cups of coffee in the morning is ideal.

This range provides maximum protective benefits without negative circadian disruption.

You can also drink decaf coffee afternoon.

So if you love the taste of coffee, there's a little bit of a placebo effect as well.