A specialist reveals the ideal time to enjoy your morning coffee.

A favourite is that morning coffee, with up to 70 million cups consumed daily in the UK. Recently, the optimal time to savour a morning cup has been discovered by the Gastropod podcast team in their quest for the 'Breakfast of Champions.'

Chronopharmacology expert Steven Miller, who studies how the brain responds to drugs, suggests that those on a regular 9-5 schedule should avoid caffeine immediately upon waking. He explains that cortisol, the hormone that regulates stress and blood sugar levels, peaks from 8-9 am, so the body does not need a caffeine boost before then.

Miller recommends postponing coffee until 9:30 am, which he claims will not lead to "desensitisation," where the body requires more of a drug to experience the same effect.