Women: Does Coffee Make You Happy?

Does that skinny vanilla latte or caramel marvel give your mood a boost? There may actually be a medical reason why.

A new study looking at caffeine and depression among women found that the more coffee they consumed the lower the risk of depression.

"Caffeine is the world's most widely used central nervous system stimulant," said the authors reporting on the study in the Sept. 28 issue of the Archive of Internal Medicine.

A in Bloomfield Township, shift leader Lamia Helov sees coffee as a mood lifter, and has her own opinion – as a woman and a daily observer of coffee drinkers – about why. "I think a lot of women treat themselves with coffee," Helov said. 

At Biggby, a lot of women are ordering the pumpkin spice latte this fall, and the old standby, the caramel marvel, Helov said.

At the at Long Lake and Telegraph, favorites include the skinny vanilla latte or chai tea latte.

The authors of the caffeine study, from Harvard and Columbia universities, said more study is needed to determine if usual caffeinated coffee consumption can contribute to the prevention of depression.