Women Who Love Coffee Are Smart

Good news: drinking coffee makes you smarter. Bad news: it only works for women.

The British study claims coffee speeds up a woman's brain power. But, it makes men mentally slower. Researchers at Bristol University examined 64 men and women, grouping them in same-sex pairs. Each pair was asked to perform a set of tasks. Half of the pairs were given decaf, while the other half got real caffeine.

For men, drinking the caffeinated coffee impaired their ability to solve a puzzle. But women solved the puzzles a lot faster after loading up on java.

Scientists believe the difference in caffeine's impact on the sexes lies in their different responses to stress. It may heighten the typical man's fight or flight response while enhancing women's tendencies to work together to solve problems.