Exactly What Your Coffee Cravings Are Trying to Tell You

Ahh, coffee. Some days it can be the only thing that gets you through a busy day. It's been reported to help us live longer, and research tells us that coffee even provides powerful antioxidants that can boost your immune system.

An Australian coffee report compiled by Square identified the latte as the nation's favourite choice, with 9 am being the time when most people opted to down their favourite brew. With many of us consuming at least one cup a day, what does it mean when you start to crave coffee? We've got the answers.

You've got a habit
Habits, especially those that we complete in the mornings, can be tricky to break. It makes sense then, that drinking a cup of coffee before work each morning has resulted in a habit. It's probably second nature by now—you wake up, you get dressed, and you pour yourself a mug without much thought. If you're looking to tame the cravings, slowly reduce your coffee intake to let your body get used to it.

You're tired
If you had a rough sleep last night, it's only natural that you'll crave caffeine to boost your energy levels back to normal. While sipping on a coffee will help you feel more alert in the short term, it's no substitute for much-needed deep sleep that will get you back to firing on all cylinders.

You're dependent
An addiction to coffee is rare, but dependency, on the other hand, is extremely common amongst people who regularly drink coffee. You might find that you get a craving for coffee around the same time you would usually consume one because your body is accustomed to receiving the substance at that time every day.

Your brain needs it
During stressful times in our lives, it's completely normal to look to things such as food (and coffee) to help us feel better again. A coffee cravings makes sense if you're down in the dumps because it contains amino acids which act as the building blocks for feel-good chemicals in your brain.

You're genetically predisposed
It turns out you might be able to blame your coffee habit on your family. Thousands of coffee drinkers were analysed as a part of a study that was able to establish six genetic variances that can be used to determine a person's responsiveness to coffee and whether they would likely become a heavy coffee drinker.

If you are concerned about your health or wellbeing, your first port of call should be your GP, who will be able to advise a correct treatment plan.

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