Drinking caffeinated coffee and tea daily may slightly decrease risk of dementia: Experts
· Toronto Sun
According to a new U.S. study spanning four decades, a few cups of coffee or tea with caffeine daily may slightly increase the power of the brain and prevent dementia.
Researchers found that those who consumed the largest amount of caffeinated coffee enjoyed an 18% lower risk of getting dementia compared to those with the smallest intake, Reuters reported.
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The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and recently published in JAMA , was based on responses from 131,821 American adults over 43 years.
The research also found that those who enjoyed the most amount of caffeine also had 2% lower rate of memory or thinking issues compared to those with the least amount.
The study says the results proved to be the same with caffeinated tea, but not decaffeinated beverages.
Still, researchers said while encouraging, the findings don’t prove caffeine helps protect the brain.
In fact, study leader Dr. Daniel Wang of Harvard Medical School said in a statement that the research shows caffeine’s effect was small and there are better proven ways to safeguard cognitive function in aging.
Getting enough exercise and sleep, and a healthy diet have been linked to lower risks of dementia, according to previous research.
Caffeine is only one piece of preventing dementia
“Our study suggests that caffeinated coffee or tea consumption can be one piece of that puzzle,” Wang said to Reuters.
Researchers found the findings were best in those who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of caffeinated tea a day.
The study says those who consumed caffeinated coffee also did better on objective cognitive function tests.
The research said more study is required to back up the factors that led to the findings.
Researchers said coffee and tea’s bioactive ingredients like caffeine and polyphenols could possibly decrease inflammation and damage in nerve cells while safeguarding against cognitive decline.
“We also 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,” said study coauthor Dr. Yu Zhang of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in a statement to Reuters.