An important European study from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Netherlands, suggests that drinking three cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of mental decline in old age and cut the risk of Alzheimer’s by half.
The elderly have a higher level of adenosine a brain chemical that weakens gamma rhythms, which are involved in memory and learning processes. The caffeine appears to reduce the risk of memory loss and Alzheimer’s by blocking the effects of adenosine.
The Maastricht aging study, which included individuals ranging from 24 years to 81 years of age, found that the consumption of coffee appear to improve certain aspect of cognition such as long-term memory and motor speed relative to age-matched peers (Hum Pshychopharmacol 15, 573-581).
Given the high coffee consumption worldwide and the aging population in many countries, coffee’s apparent ability to protect cognition could have important implications.
Regular consumption of coffee may reduce risk mental decline
