Gaby
A morning espresso with a light breakfast or a midmeeting cup of coffee may lower the risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease. That’s the conclusion of a team of researchers at leading French scientific centers.
Most previous research has focused on meta-analyses of tea and coffee consumption, leaving relatively little data on the biological changes caused by caffeine.
The authors analyzed data from a five-year prospective study that followed patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. They found a link between caffeine consumption and Alzheimer’s-related markers in cerebrospinal fluid.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
The analysis used health data from 263 volunteers aged 70 and older. Researchers collected a detailed clinical inventory of each person’s caffeine sources—coffee, chocolate, tea, and energy drinks—to estimate each participant’s daily caffeine intake. Volunteers also had MRI scans and provided blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples.
Participants who averaged just over 200 milligrams of caffeine per day were classified in the low-consumption group. Those who took in higher amounts were placed in the high-consumption group, as reported by Science Alert.
The low group consumed roughly one energy drink or one to two cups of coffee per day; the high group consumed several cans of energy drinks or multiple cups of coffee per day. The researchers suggest that this difference could lead to pathologies associated with dementia.
The team found that participants in the low-caffeine group were more likely to have mild cognitive impairment than those who consumed more caffeine. In fact, they were nearly 2.5 times more likely to receive a mild cognitive impairment diagnosis.
A detailed analysis of cerebrospinal fluid revealed significant differences in the ratios and concentrations of certain beta-amyloid proteins between the two groups. In the lower-caffeine group, those protein concentrations correlated with a higher likelihood of aggregation in the brain, a hallmark of neurodegeneration linked to Alzheimer’s symptoms.
Surprisingly, caffeine intake did not affect levels of tau protein, which accumulates in brain tissue as Alzheimer’s progresses.
Key Takeaways
This study was based on a short questionnaire about caffeine habits among a few hundred older adults. So it’s still unclear how morning coffee in youth or middle age might influence dementia risk later in life.
The authors emphasized the timing and context of caffeine consumption. Consuming caffeine late in the day can disrupt sleep and nervous system function. Excessive chocolate and energy drink intake also brings a sugar overload and associated health risks.
Given other recent studies linking caffeine to health, morning tea, a midday latte, or a post-lunch chocolate snack could play a positive role in maintaining health over time. The study was published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
