Science Daily reports that your cup of coffee or tea may do more than just jolt you awake.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University revealed that the caffeine in your favorite morning brew may actually help improve your memory. In the study, they asked several participants who were not regular coffee drinkers to study a series of images before taking either a 200-milligram caffeine tablet or a placebo. Samples of saliva were then tested for caffeine levels.

The following day, the participants were asked to identify the images from the previous session. At this point, some of the photos had already been swapped, but those who took the caffeine supplement were able to recognize the different pictures correctly. Those who were given the placebo performed less impressively.

Researchers believe that this sudden memory enhancement is due to caffeine’s effect on pattern separation, the ability of the brain to differentiate similar but contrasting objects involving the brain's hippocampus. While it lasts up to approximately 24 hours after consumption, researchers still need to conduct more tests.

For now, if you wish to kick-start your brain, there should be no harm in drinking a cup of tea or coffee.

(Photo by TheCulinaryGeek via Flickr Creative Commons)