Coffee affects nicotine receptors in the brain. And for those addicted to nicotine, a cup of coffee in the morning can enhance the feeling of well-being after the first nicotine dose of the day. This is according to a study at the University of Florida.
Most people who have ever smoked know that smoking and coffee go hand in hand. For many, it's an important ritual to take advantage of not just one, but two, stimulants: caffeine and nicotine, during the first chaotic hour of the morning. But now a new study shows that there may be more than just a feeling and ritual behind the habit.
Coffee suppresses nicotine receptors
Researchers at the University of Florida investigated how substances in dark-roasted coffee beans affect certain nicotine receptors in the brain. They found that two specific substances reduced the sensitivity of nicotine receptors. This in turn may balance the effect of nicotine, which can sometimes be extra strong after a night of withdrawal.
"Coffee in the morning means something different to smokers than to non-smokers. The results could be important for understanding how smokers react to withdrawal and something behavioral scientists can look at more closely" says Roger L. Papke, professor of pharmacology at the UF College of Medicine in Florida to the online magazine Neuroscience News.
Alcohol also affects nicotine
Previous studies have shown that alcohol also affects how nicotine is experienced by users. It was this relationship that led the Florida researchers to also look at the effects of coffee and possibly caffeine, a substance that has basically the same effects as nicotine on the body.
"Smokers like to have a cigarette with their coffee in the mornings and often with alcohol in the evenings. It is fascinating. Now, this is certainly a cellular study, but it gives us an initial insight into how substances in coffee and nicotine interact by affecting nicotine receptors," says Roger L. Papke in Neuroscience.
