A long term study has found that consuming moderate amounts of caffeinated beverages daily can significantly reduce the risk of dementia.
Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the research involved more than 131,000 participants. At the start of the study, these individuals were not suffering from cancer, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia.
The study included over 86,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study from 1980 to 2023 and more than 45,000 male participants from the Health Professionals Follow up Study from 1983 to 2023. The average age of female participants was 46 years, while the average age of male participants was 54 years.
To examine the relationship between coffee and tea consumption and mental health, researchers collected dietary questionnaires from participants every two to four years.
The results showed that more than 11,000 cases of dementia were recorded among participants, but higher consumption of caffeinated coffee was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of dementia and a decrease in subjective symptoms of cognitive decline.
In addition, among participants of the Nurses’ Health Study, higher coffee intake was also linked to better cognitive performance. Similarly, greater consumption of caffeinated tea was also associated with positive mental health outcomes.
