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The Surprising Mental Health Benefit of Coffee That Has Nothing to Do With Caffeine

In a small study, 20 students reported improvements in mood after smelling freshly brewed coffee for five minutes without drinking it.

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You’re probably used to jump-starting your day with a mug full of coffee, so the caffeine lying in wait within can provide you with the energy boost you need to become a semi-functioning adult. New research published in the journal Nutrients suggests that you probably don’t even need to take a sip of that coffee to feel some of the benefits. All you need to do is take a big whiff to alter your mood.

Researchers at Showa Pharmaceutical University in Japan sat 20 university students next to 400 milliliters of freshly brewed coffee and made them stare into the middle distance for five........

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