New Study Reveals Benefit Of Coffee, Tea Consumption

Most U.S. adults start their day with a caffeine jolt, but a morning cup of coffee may offer more than just a kick-start to the day. It may keep their minds sharp over time, according to a new longitudinal study.

In a study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Harvard researchers found that moderate daily consumption of caffeinated coffee and tea may reduce the risk of dementia, slow cognitive decline, and preserve brain function.

The researchers found caffeinated coffee intake was significantly associated with a lower risk of dementia. The results were similar with caffeinated tea; however, researchers found no link between decaffeinated products and brain health.

That suggests that caffeine might be the active ingredient responsible for the neuroprotective effects, though researchers stressed that further study is necessary.

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, currently affects more than 6 million people in the United States, a number that is expected to nearly double to 13 million people by 2050. Researchers noted their findings held true among people who were at a high risk for developing dementia, including those who are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease

With limited treatment options for dementia, early prevention is crucial, the authors said. Drinking coffee alone isn’t a magic pill to prevent dementia, according to the researchers. They didn’t recommend that people who don’t drink coffee or tea pick up the habit, but said the findings are reassuring for those who already drink coffee.

Those who drink between two and three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of caffeinated tea daily showed the best results. Contrary to previous studies, the positive results were not negated when people drank higher amounts of coffee and tea.

“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,” lead author Yu Zhang, a student at Harvard Chan School and a research trainee at Mass General Brigham, said on Harvard’s website

While not the first study to link coffee and brain health, the authors think it offers the longest-term data to date on the relationship between caffeine consumption and cognition. The study encompasses more than 130,000 people over a period of up to 43 years.

“When searching for possible dementia prevention tools, we thought something as prevalent as coffee may be a promising dietary intervention — and our unique access to high-quality data through studies that have been going on for more than 40 years allowed us to follow through on that idea,” said senior author Daniel Wang, a research scientist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

“While our results are encouraging, it’s important to remember that the effect size is small and there are lots of important ways to protect cognitive function as we age. Our study suggests that caffeinated coffee or tea consumption can be one piece of that puzzle,” Wang said.

Preventing dementia is crucial, and treatment is of minimal benefit once symptoms emerge. That led researchers to focus on how lifestyle factors like diet influence dementia development.

They narrowed their study to the consumption of coffee and tea because they contain bioactive ingredients, polyphenols and caffeine, which may offer neuroprotection, reducing inflammation, cellular damage, and cognitive decline.

Of the more than 130,000 participants, 11,033 developed dementia. The authors said that both male and female patients with the highest intake of caffeinated coffee had an 18 percent lower risk of dementia compared with those who reported little or no caffeinated coffee consumption.

Those drinking caffeinated coffee also had a lower prevalence of subjective cognitive decline, 7.8 percent versus 9.5 percent.

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