Your daily cup of coffee may be doing more than helping you wake up in the morning, a new study has found.
A small study out of University College Cork in Ireland found that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee were linked to changes in gut microbes and some measures of mood. Both types also appeared to have different effects on cognition.
"Coffee is more than just caffeine — it’s a complex dietary factor that interacts with our gut microbes, our metabolism and even our emotional wellbeing," study corresponding author Professor John Cryan said in a statement. Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee may influence health "in distinct but complementary ways," Cryan added.
The researchers studied 62 healthy adults, 31 who were regular coffee drinkers and 31 who did not drink coffee. The coffee drinkers, who typically had three to five cups a day, stopped drinking it for two weeks; then they were assigned to resume caffeinated or decaf coffee for three weeks.
Researchers then tracked their mood and cognitive test scores and analyzed stool and urine samples.
The caffeinated group also reported reduced anxiety and showed improvement on an attention test. Those who drank decaf showed improvement on a test of episodic memory, which measures the ability to recall information and experiences.
The researchers found that coffee drinkers also had differences in certain gut bacteria and both groups had some microbial changes after starting both types of coffee, though the study could not prove gut microbes caused the reported mood or cognitive changes.
"Public interest in gut health has risen hugely," Cryan said. "The relationship between digestive and mental health is also increasingly being better understood, but the mechanisms behind coffee’s effects on this gut-brain axis have remained unclear."
Gains on cognitive tests do not necessarily translate into meaningful or lasting improvements in everyday life, she added. "How I perform with a paper-and-pen test might not be the same way that I perform when I’m out in the real world," she said.
Research has found short-term effects of caffeine on alertness, but evidence about its long-term effects on cognition remains inconclusive, she also said.
While Steele said the decaf group’s memory results are interesting, changes in sleep and physical activity, along with the possibility of a "learning effect" from taking the same tests more than once, complicate the findings.
"Changes in self-reported stress and depression scores should not be confused with evidence that coffee treats clinical depression," she also cautioned.
The question of whether men and women can remain "just friends" drew fresh attention when Jenny McCarthy and her husband, Donnie Wahlberg, recently bantered on her podcast about whether having an attractive male friend crosses a line.
Attraction alone doesn’t necessarily threaten a friendship, according to Susan Trombetti, relationship expert and CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking in Maryland.
However, unspoken feelings and growing emotional intimacy can blur boundaries, she told Fox News Digital.
"I think we can be friends with hot people … but a lot of times, I believe that friendship started with a sexual interest or romantic interest, and the timing wasn't right or the other person wasn't interested in them."
Some people may maintain friendships while leaving open the possibility of a future romantic relationship, Trombetti said.
"I don't think women and men can ever truly be friends," she told Fox News Digital. "I think it was always a sexual undertone that sparked the friendship and a foot-in-the-door for something more, [even if] it's 20 years from now."
Trombetti said recognizing that someone is handsome doesn’t necessarily lead to feeling chemistry with that person — and finding a friend attractive does not, on its own, constitute infidelity.
The problem, she said, is when harmless awareness turns into an emotional affair. "The line between attraction with a friend and an emotional affair is a slippery slope, especially if you have a partner," the expert cautioned.
The following red flags could signal that a friendship is crossing into an emotional affair, according to Trombetti.
Prioritizing the friend over a partner: This could mean turning to the friend first to share daily victories, disappointments, personal insecurities or long-term dreams.
Creating an insular universe: Friends may build private jokes, share secret routines and communicate in channels that deliberately exclude significant others.
Secrecy and deception: Examples include hiding interactions, deleting text chains or downplaying how much time is spent together.
Unwarranted jealousy: Signs may include frustration when the friend dates someone else or criticism of their romantic partners.
Outside suspicion: Friends and family may assume the pair are an undercover couple despite protests to the contrary.
Trombetti pointed back to the movie "When Harry Met Sally" to illustrate how emotional intimacy can sometimes be more important than instant physical chemistry.
"Long before they sleep together, they definitely are having an emotional affair, even though they don't recognize it as such," she said. "They are sharing everything. Emotional intimacy turns into long-term relationships."
For those determined to maintain a platonic relationship with an attractive counterpart, Trombetti recommended setting some guardrails: Refrain from flirtatious banter, avoid physical touch, refuse to stoke sexual chemistry, limit late-night texting and ensure full transparency with an existing romantic partner.
If one person develops romantic feelings that the other doesn’t share, the friendship may continue if both are single and respect clear boundaries, Trombetti said.
For people already in committed partnerships, unreciprocated feelings almost always require stepping away to protect the relationship.
"Are they jealous or are you making them jealous?" she asked, noting that erratic partner anxiety often stems from a lack of emotional reassurance and priority.
However, if a friendship respects clear boundaries and a partner still responds with controlling behavior, that jealousy could signal a problem within the relationship, she cautioned.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., is responding to questions about missed congressional votes after a monthslong hospitalization for depression, saying he is "stronger than ever" as he seeks re-election in New Jersey's competitive 7th District.
Speaking on "The Fox News Rundown" podcast, Kean discussed his hospital stay earlier this year, explaining that his absence from Congress was due to a medical emergency.
"Nobody can schedule a medical emergency, and we were able to discuss and tell people while I was in the hospital that we [had] a medical situation in the family with me," he told Fox News’ Mike Emanuel.
"I also spoke on the House floor when I returned that I'd been in the hospital for depression because I want to get rid of the stigma associated with any mental health condition."
In June, Kean returned to the House and disclosed that he had been diagnosed with depression after spending months in the hospital receiving treatment.
Kean had been absent from Congress since early March, missing more than 100 votes before publicly disclosing his diagnosis.
The extended absence drew calls for transparency from lawmakers in both parties and became a focal point for his Democratic challenger, former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett, in the competitive district.
Emanuel asked Kean whether his absence had affected his standing with voters.
"As I said, I'm feeling stronger than ever. And I tell them the same issue that I just talked to you about. The fact that I had to treat my own mental health, I had to take that seriously," Kean said.
"I was in the hospital for those months that I was away. I spoke on the House floor that I had depression, and now we need to get rid of any stigma associated with mental health treatment."
Kean also pointed to his legislative record, highlighting his work on bipartisan legislation in New Jersey that sought to require health insurers to provide equal coverage for mental and physical health treatment. He said he continues to pursue similar efforts in Washington.
A recent study found that roughly 75% of deceased NFL players had at least some case of CTE.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive, degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts rather than a single injury, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The study from Boston University researchers consisted of more than 2,300 deceased former players aged 80 or older who died between 2008 and 2023, nearly 400 of whom were donors.
Out of the 396 who donated their brains to research, 93.5% of them were diagnosed. Researchers estimated that former NFL players with clear cognitive symptoms were roughly five times more likely to donate their brains than those without such symptoms.
Donors also died younger on average - 67 years old compared to almost 75.
CTE can only be diagnosed after death and is identified in four stages, with stage 4 being the worst.
"Many cases may have been early stage at the time of death and possibly symptom free," the study noted.
The study also estimated that 27.2% of the players had a history of all-cause dementia during life, but it did not conclude whether dementia was caused by CTE.
A study released in August found that at least 1 in 4 people who have played in the NFL might expect to end up with CTE at some point in their lives.
The symptoms found in those with CTE include memory loss, mood swings, erratic behavioral actions and more.
While the disease was first found in boxers, it has become associated with football players in this modern era due to the repeated blows to the head sustained on every snap of the ball. It has, however, also been found in athletes participating in hockey, rugby and other sports.
But its connection to football became public when beloved players like Junior Seau, Mike Webster, Frank Gifford and others were diagnosed with CTE after their deaths. Webster was dubbed "Patient Zero" after Dr. Bennet Omalu examined his brain and became the first to diagnose an NFL player with CTE, jump-starting a concussion crisis within the game.
There were 168 documented in-game concussions during the 2025 NFL season, which was a 30% increase from the 129 recorded during the 2024 campaign. There were a total of 538 evaluations and 26 medical timeouts as well.
OutKick's Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
Amid a growing trend of parent-child estrangement, experts say recognizing the early warning signs may help families address problems before they escalate into a no-contact situation.
Nearly four in 10 Americans are currently estranged from at least one close family member, according to a 2025 YouGov poll of 4,395 U.S. adults. That includes 24% who reported estrangement from a sibling, 16% from a parent and 10% from a child.
While estrangement can sometimes seem sudden, experts say subtle changes may signal that a family relationship is beginning to unravel.
Mary McLaughlin, a licensed couples and family therapist in Vienna, Virginia, said early signs may include an adult child becoming less willing to share details of their life directly with a parent.
"You might find out about the trip, the new relationship or a promotion at work at the same time everyone else does," she told Fox News Digital.
The parent may still be in contact with the adult child, McLaughlin said, but the child no longer chooses to share parts of their life directly.
Other potential warning signs may include skipping family holidays, birthdays or weddings; leaving texts and calls unanswered; and reducing communication to brief or sporadic exchanges, according to the expert.
The distance may become so noticeable that siblings, grandparents or other relatives comment that they have not seen or heard from the adult child in a long time.
A child who once readily joined family photos but begins stepping out of them may also be signaling that they are starting to see themselves as separate from the family, McLaughlin said.
Blythe Landry, a Pennsylvania-based therapist and founder of Blythe Landry Coaching, said other early signs may include a child becoming involved with a new social group that encourages estrangement over difficult conversations, or "beginning to rewrite history in a way that seems more damaging than what might have happened."
The adult child may also become less willing to let a parent spend time with their grandchildren.
The most telling sign may be a noticeable shift in the tone of the relationship, Landry said.
"You know your child, and you know when the energy has shifted in a direction that seems dramatically harsher than in previous interactions."
The shift to independence
Laura Wellington, a Connecticut mother who has been estranged from her adult daughter since 2024, said it can be challenging to distinguish early signs of estrangement from typical moves toward independence.
"It’s confusing to the parent because, a lot of times, they look like the general signs of a teenager moving into the young-adult zone — just pulling away and going off and establishing their lives," she told Fox News Digital.
"That’s what I think confuses many parents, because they want to give them the space to start pulling away and showing signs of their own individuality and carving their path."
"They don’t want to fight every battle, because if they fight every battle, then communication breaks down. So they try to pick and choose."
Loss of respect
One warning sign, according to Wellington, is if the child has an "I know everything, you know nothing" mindset.
"What's happening in our society today is … a lot of ‘I know everything, you know nothing’ toward the parent," she said. "There's no respect for what the parents experience. There's no tolerance for them speaking up and saying, ‘No, this is not what you should be doing.’"
In some cases, the child may begin treating the parent as a subordinate, according to Wellington.
Some parents begin to notice a shift when their adult children start treating them with disrespect, pushing back on their opinions and positioning themselves as the authority in the relationship, she said.
"They become the authority; they flip it. Anytime you say something, you’ll see them bark at the parent and push back on the parent. They really have no respect for the parent."
Different worldviews
Wellington also pointed to major differences in political, religious or lifestyle beliefs as a possible source of growing distance between parents and adult children.
She suggested that some young people who become estranged are "more liberal in thinking," while acknowledging that the dynamic can also work in the opposite direction when a parent holds especially strong ideological views.
"There is extremism sometimes where the parent is extremely something, and then the child … goes the other way," she said.
Richard Blake, Ph.D., a Texas-based psychology researcher who focuses on anxiety and family estrangement, said an adult child’s unwillingness to consider differing views may signal trouble.
He suggested that personality may play a role, with more argumentative adult children who are less willing to consider differing views potentially more prone to family estrangement.
Another possible warning sign, according to Blake, is if the adult child has begun cutting off other people. He said parents should take note if an adult child has repeatedly stopped speaking to relatives or openly boasts about ending relationships.
"Chances are, they're going to cut off someone else, and it may be the parent," he said. "If you haven’t been cut off yet, you may be in the firing line there."
Communication breakdown
Ongoing communication problems may be an early warning sign, Blake said, particularly when an adult child feels that a parent refuses to listen or acknowledge the child’s point of view.
"They may say, 'My parents just don’t listen. I cannot get through to them. It’s like talking to a brick wall.'"
Parents who consistently dismiss their children’s concerns should not be surprised when conflict develops, he said.
"If you don’t listen to your child, then don’t be surprised if you have conflict with them."
Blake recommends listening actively, avoiding interruptions, repeating back what the other person has said and asking a simple follow-up question: "First, you say, 'Is there more?'"
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