Men are more susceptible than women to caffeine

Men and women react differently to the effects of coffee, according to the results of a experiment conducted in Spain with 688 subjects. Researchers at the University of Barcelona have conducted an experiment with 238 men and 450 women who drank an espresso classic (100 mg of caffeine) or decaffeinated (5 mg of caffeine). The study opted for espresso since decaffeinated version has the same taste and gives the same flavor as the classic version. The results 10 minutes after consuming the espresso, caffeine or not, the subjects felt a significant stimulating effect (less sleep and more brain activity). Among those who took the decaffeinated, this effect has faded quickly as he rose in the other after 20 minutes, reaching a peak after 30 minutes. Researchers report also that the stimulating effect of caffeine espresso was more pronounced among men than among women. They also observed that, conversely, the stimulation provided by the decaffeinated espresso has been more intense among women and lasted longer than men. In their conclusion, the authors wonder if women might produce a placebo effect stronger and more sustained than men. The data from this trial does not draw a conclusion in this regard. Researchers also express the assumption that the taste and flavor of the espresso were able to induce a placebo effect in subjects of the study. They do not indicate that the initial stimulus detected among drinkers of espresso, caffeine or not, comes from the sugar that the subjects were free to add or not to their coffee. Spaniards usually drink their espresso with a good dose of sugar.