A new scientific study has concluded that caffeine, the active ingredient in coffee, has a faster and stronger effect on men than on women. Unlike previous studies that analyzed the effects of the beverage, which were conducted with abnormally high quantities of the stuff, the new research was based on the normal amount that an average person ingests during an entire day. In an interesting find, the experts behind the survey also noticed the fact that decaf affects women more than men.

Ana Adan, a researcher at the University of Barcelona, told SINC (the Scientific Information and News Service of Spain) that "Although both the men and women saw an improvement in their activity levels with the coffee, which increased in later measurements, we observed a greater impact among the males. Numerous studies have demonstrated the stimulant effects of caffeine, but none of these have looked at their effects in terms of the consumer's gender."

The researchers analyzed "the difference seen in the effects on men and women, based on the quantities of caffeine people take in 99 percent of cases (espresso coffee and decaffeinated espresso coffee, containing 100 mg and 5 mg of caffeine, respectively)," the scientist added.

"Forty-five minutes is the time needed for maximum caffeine concentration to be reached in the blood, but levels reach half this concentration after just a few minutes," she explained. Previous studies showed that coffee exerts its maximum effect on the human body in a bit over 45 minutes, whereas the new research proves that the effects take as little as 10 minutes to set in and last for about 2 to 3 hours on average, although, in some cases, they can very well last 4 to 5 hours, depending on the consumer's metabolism and build.

The effects of coffee have been widely discussed among scientists for quite some time now, although in some countries, it's already used as a medicine, for treating low blood pressure. The new study proves what people who drink coffee have known for a long time – that it works almost instantly.