Findings suggest smaller cognitive decline, but US study cannot prove daily caffeine hit is good for the brain
People who have a couple of teas or coffees a day have a lower risk of dementia and marginally better cognitive performance than those who avoid the drinks, researchers say.
Health records for more than 130,000 people showed that over 40 years, those who routinely drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of caffeinated tea daily had a 15-20% lower risk of dementia than those who went without.
The caffeinated coffee drinkers also reported slightly less cognitive decline than those who opted for decaf and performed better on some objective tests of brain function, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The findings suggest habitual tea and coffee drinking is good for the brain, but the research cannot prove it, as caffeine drinkers may be less prone to dementia for other reasons. A similar link would arise if poor sleepers, who appear to have a greater risk of cognitive decline, steered clear of caffeine to get a better night’s rest.
