2 To 3 Cups of Coffee a Day May Reduce Dementia Risk. But Not if It's Decaf.
Source: Slashdot
Overview
If you think your daily doses of espresso or Earl Grey sharpen your mind, you might be right, new science suggests. The New York Times reports that a large new study provides evidence of cognitive benefits from coffee and tea—if they’re caffeinated and consumed in moderation: two to three cups of coffee or one to two cups of tea daily.
Study Details
- Participants: 131,821 men and women
- Follow‑up period: up to 43 years
- Main finding: people who drank the specified amount of caffeinated coffee or tea for decades had lower chances of developing dementia compared with those who drank little or no caffeine.
The findings were published in JAMA on Monday. The study does not prove that caffeine directly causes the beneficial effects; other attributes of caffeine drinkers may also protect brain health.
Expert Commentary
Aladdin Shadyab, associate professor of public health and medicine at the University of California, San Diego (not involved in the study), said:
“This is a very large, rigorous study conducted long term among men and women that shows that drinking two or three cups of coffee per day is associated with reduced risk of dementia.”
Independent experts noted that the researchers adjusted for many potential confounders, including:
- Health conditions
- Medication use
- Diet
- Education
- Socioeconomic status
- Family history of dementia
- Body‑mass index
- Smoking
- Mental illness