Evidence has been mounting over the years showing that consuming coffee is beneficial against cognitive decline, dementia in particular. And a new study following more than 100,000 individuals over the course of 40+ years bolsters that claim even further.
As reported by CNN, led by Dr. Daniel Wong of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Medical School, the study was published recently in the journal JAMA. For it, they examined 131,821 participants in total, 86,606 females from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and 45,215 males from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS). The NHS lasted 43 years and the HPFS for 40. None of the participants had cancer, Parkinsons, or dementia at the beginning of the study.
Participants’ intake of coffee and tea, both caffeinated and decaf, as well as dietary information. Over the course of the studies, a total of 11,033 instances of dementia occurred. They found that, in general, “Greater consumption of caffeinated coffee and tea was associated with lower risk of dementia and modestly better cognitive function.”
The results were non-linear, meaning that more coffee and tea didn’t mean greater effects, and in fact, moderate consumption was shown to have the most pronounced association. Drinking 2-3 cups of coffee daily showed the best result, with an 18% decrease in instances of dementia, with 1-2 cups of tea daily having a 14% decrease. Decaffeinated versions of both drinks had no such positive associations.
Still, drinking coffee isn’t a substitute for other brain-healthy activities, including things like “regular physical and frequent activity, good sleep hygiene, not smoking, managing blood pressure and diabetes, staying socially engaged, and maintaining overall diet quality which should be mainly made up of whole plant-based foods.” But it does appear to be at least part of a health strategy.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
