Your morning coffee may feel like a survival tool, but scientists are taking a closer look at what caffeine does behind the scenes. New research suggests that coffee and cortisol may be more connected than many people realize, especially for heavy caffeine drinkers. Cortisol, often called the stress hormone, helps regulate metabolism, blood sugar, inflammation, and your sleep-wake cycle. The concern is not that coffee is automatically harmful, but that too much caffeine may push an already stressed body even harder.
