Coffee Doesn't Help Your Memory - (If you've had a cup, you may want to read that again!)

A startling 90% of people drink coffee on a daily basis. A large number of these people use caffeine to help them be alert and focused as they start the day. However, a recent study at the University of California, San Diego led by Sara Mednick suggests that while coffee does help you concentrate and be more alert, it hinders your memory. Researchers found that when people were asked to recall explicit verbal information or a new motor skill, those who drank caffeine performed more poorly than those who had a sugar pill or those that had taken a nap instead. (Okay, those of you who took a nap while reading this probably need to read it again as well.) Let us know what you think. Do you use coffee to deal with sleep deprivation? Is it affecting your performance at work, at school? Leave us a comment.

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