Daily Caffeine Could Reduce Your Risk of Developing Dementia, Study Shows : ScienceAlert

New Study Confirms: Your Daily Coffee Habit Might Be Your Brain’s Best Friend

In a world where every sip of coffee is scrutinized for its health impact, groundbreaking new research delivers a steaming cup of good news for caffeine lovers everywhere. A massive, decades-long study has found that moderate coffee and tea consumption could be a powerful ally in the fight against dementia and cognitive decline.

The research, published in JAMA and involving nearly 132,000 participants followed for up to 43 years, reveals that those with the highest caffeine intake had an impressive 18 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who drank little or no caffeine. But before you start chugging espresso shots, the sweet spot appears to be two to three cups of coffee or one to two cups of tea per day.

What makes this study particularly compelling is the distinction between caffeinated and decaffeinated beverages. Researchers found no protective association for decaf drinkers, strongly suggesting that caffeine itself is the key ingredient working to protect our brains. Among participants who completed cognitive function tests, those who drank caffeinated coffee or tea also scored slightly better than their less-caffeinated counterparts.

“This is encouraging news for the millions of people who enjoy their daily coffee or tea,” says Daniel Wang, a nutritionist at Mass General Brigham in Boston. “While our results show that caffeinated coffee or tea consumption can be one piece of the puzzle in protecting cognitive function as we age, it’s important to remember that the effect size is modest and there are many other important ways to maintain brain health.”

The study analyzed health data from 86,606 women in the Nurses’ Health Study and 45,215 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, both of which began collecting data in the 1980s. Participants’ caffeine intake was meticulously tracked through food frequency questionnaires conducted every two to four years, while cognitive function was assessed through both self-reported changes and standardized telephone tests.

Among the 131,821 total participants, 11,033 developed dementia during the study period. The protective effect of caffeine held true even when researchers compared people with different genetic predispositions to developing dementia, suggesting that coffee’s brain benefits are available to everyone, regardless of their genetic risk factors.

Lead author Yu Zhang emphasizes this point: “We compared people with different genetic predispositions to developing dementia and saw the same results – meaning coffee or caffeine is likely equally beneficial for people with high and low genetic risk of developing dementia.”

This research adds to a growing body of evidence linking coffee consumption to better brain health. Recent studies have found that coffee drinkers are 34 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and 37 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease compared to non-coffee drinkers, provided the coffee is caffeinated and unsweetened. Another study linked three cups of coffee per day with an average increase of almost two years of life, while research on people with high blood pressure found that drinking four to five cups of tea daily was associated with the lowest risk of developing dementia.

Interestingly, the study found that higher caffeine intake wasn’t linked to negative effects. Instead, the benefits leveled off, meaning that consuming more than the moderate amount didn’t provide additional protection. This contrasts with other research suggesting that drinking more than six cups daily might actually increase dementia risk.

While these findings are certainly encouraging for coffee enthusiasts, experts caution that observational studies like this one can only point to associations, not prove causation. The researchers did account for other lifestyle factors such as diet, medical history, and family history, but more work is needed to understand the potential mechanisms linking caffeine to reduced dementia risk.

As the global population ages and dementia rates continue to rise, this research offers a simple, enjoyable strategy that many people can incorporate into their daily routines. So the next time someone questions your coffee habit, you can confidently tell them you’re not just indulging in a morning ritual – you might be giving your brain a protective boost that could pay dividends for decades to come.

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