Drinking 2–3 cups of coffee a day linked to dramatically lower dementia risk
Drinking two to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily was linked to a dramatically lower risk of dementia and better cognitive functioning in a study spanning up to 43 years. The benefits appeared regardless of genetic risk, but decaffeinated coffee did not show the same association.
Key points
- Adults who drank more caffeinated coffee had 141 dementia cases per 100,000 yearly, versus 330 among those who rarely or never drank it.
- Two to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily showed the strongest link to lower dementia risk and better cognition.
- Decaffeinated coffee did not show the same benefits, and tea was linked to better outcomes at one to two cups daily.
A long-running study of U.S. adults suggests that regular caffeinated coffee drinking is associated with a substantially lower risk of dementia and better cognitive health as people age, ScienceDaily reports. The findings were based on follow-up periods of up to 43 years.
Among adults who drank higher amounts of caffeinated coffee, researchers recorded 141 dementia cases annually per 100,000 people, compared with 330 per 100,000 among those who rarely or never drank it. The strongest associations appeared at two to three cups a day.
Memory complaints and genetic risk
Participants who drank more caffeinated coffee were also less likely to report subjective cognitive decline: 7.8% versus 9.5% among those who rarely or never drank it. Such complaints are changes people notice themselves and do not automatically indicate dementia.
The association at two to three cups a day remained apparent regardless of participants' genetic risk of developing dementia. Drinking beyond that range did not appear to provide additional protection.
The results show an association rather than proving that coffee directly prevents dementia.
— ScienceDaily
Tea and decaf findings
Tea was also linked to lower dementia risk and better cognitive functioning, with the strongest associations at one to two cups a day. The study did not distinguish between caffeinated and noncaffeinated tea, so it cannot establish whether caffeine was responsible.
Decaffeinated coffee did not show the same benefits, which the article says raises questions about whether caffeine itself might help explain the connection. The results show an association rather than proving that coffee directly prevents dementia.
