Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.
Drinking higher amounts of coffee can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, research suggests.
Coffee was linked to reduced levels of amyloid plaques in the brain — these are thought to be key to Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.
People who drank coffee also had higher levels of cognitive function.
Another recent study found that drinking tea or coffee may reduce the risk of stroke and dementia by around one-third.
Dr Samantha Gardener, the study’s first author, explained:
“We found participants with no memory impairments and with higher coffee consumption at the start of the study had lower risk of transitioning to mild cognitive impairment—which often precedes Alzheimer’s disease—or developing Alzheimer’s disease over the course of the study.”
Drinking coffee could be an easy way to delay Alzheimer’s disease, Dr Gardener said:
“It’s a simple thing that people can change.
It could be particularly useful for people who are at risk of cognitive decline but haven’t developed any symptoms.
We might be able to develop some clear guidelines people can follow in middle age and hopefully it could then have a lasting effect.”
Increase to two cups
The study suggests that for a person drinking one cup of coffee a day, it may be worth increasing to two cups a day.
Dr Gardener said:
“If the average cup of coffee made at home is 240g, increasing to two cups a day could potentially lower cognitive decline by eight percent after 18 months.
It could also see a five percent decrease in amyloid accumulation in the brain over the same time period.”
However, the study wasn’t able to determine the maximum number of cups of coffee that is beneficial or whether caffeination or adding milk make any difference.
Dr Gardener said:
“We need to evaluate whether coffee intake could one day be recommended as a lifestyle factor aimed at delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.”
The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Gardener et al., 2021).
