Here’s how to hack your coffee intake to maximize its benefits

Everybody knows that a sip of coffee will give you a little extra spring in your step. And that’s not just because the wonderful aroma and bittersweet taste inspire your body to have more energy. It’s science. Coffee is loaded with that wonderful stimulant caffeine.

Although caffeine can be found in many other popular foods and drinks, like chocolate and green tea, its high concentration in coffee has made the drink world-famous for helping you pull all-nighters or helping you shake out of a groggy morning.

True coffee lovers are always looking for the best way to get the most out of their beloved drink, no matter how or when they order it.

The delicious taste is only part of the delight of the drink. In a busy world, we all want to know how to drink our coffee while maximize the caffeine-related benefits. Luckily, our friends at Bloomberg recently published an article that boils down how to make the most out of each yummy cup.

Don’t drink it when you’re too tired

Hear us out: It’s not that you can’t drink it when you’re regular tired, it’s that it won’t help you when you’re too tired. The stimulants in caffeine react to your own brain chemistry. It basically makes it possible for you to stay more awake and more alert for longer periods of time by temporarily keeping the chemical that slows down your neural pathways at bay.

If you’re well-rested and just looking for a pick me up, caffeine will work wonders. But if you’re trying to replace getting healthy amounts of sleep with downing jugs of coffee every night, caffeine will do you no good.

It can help you retain information

A 2014 study published in Nature Neuroscience showed that taking a small amount of caffeine (about what you’d find in two cups of coffee) before learning significantly helped students retain information for long periods of time. So whether you’re wanting to make the most out of that big lecture or really want to remember a particular coffee date with an old friend, your friendly cup of joe will be there to help.

There’s no “perfect” time of day 

Now that you know coffee is great before you want to retain information, keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all answer for exactly when is the best time of day to normally have some. Like anything else you put in your body, caffeine has a very personal and specific reaction to your own body chemistry.

It’s good for both work and play

Participants in a 2009 study were found to be more collaborative and creative after having consumed caffeine. Not only that, but researchers found people typed faster, processed data quicker, and were more efficient in their mathematical computation. Because of the way it reacts with large portions of a major brain system, it’s no surprise that its benefits are not concentrated to one specific brain function.

Plus, there are some findings that it could actually help with overall longevity and maybe even in preventing Alzheimer’s Disease. So basically, your cup of morning java could be a gift that keeps on giving.

Don’t overdo it

Caffeine is a stimulant. While it can be really helpful, you can still have too much of a good thing. Having too much caffeine can make you feel jittery and cause you to lose sleep. So even though it’s delicious and helpful, always make sure you use it smartly and in moderation.