Study Links Coffee to Lowered Dementia Risk

A new study links coffee consumption to lowered dementia risk.
Photo © Henning Birnbaum

According to the results of a new study, that morning cup of coffee might do more than just help keep you awake and alert. The New York Times reports on the study that tracked a group of 1,409 adults over a period of approximately 21 years. Participants who consumed between three and five cups of coffee each day were 65 percent less likely to develop dementia than other participants to drank less than two cups each day.

"Dr. Kivipelto and her colleagues suggest several possibilities for why coffee might reduce the risk of dementia later in life. First, earlier studies have linked coffee consumption with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, which in turn has been associated with a greater risk of dementia. In animal studies, caffeine has been shown to reduce the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Finally, coffee may have an antioxidant effect in the bloodstream, reducing vascular risk factors for dementia."

Learn more about the effects of caffeine and related psychoactive drugs in this brief overview of stimulants.