Three cups of a coffee a day may cut the risk of the disease
Drinking three cups of coffee each day could help to stave of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research.
A recent study monitoring the memory and thinking processes of people older than 65 found that all those with higher blood caffeine levels avoided the onset of Alzheimer's disease in the two-to-four years of study follow-up.
And coffee appeared to be the major or only source of caffeine for these individuals.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) occurs in older people in which they display early signs of dementia such as memory loss that's beyond normal amounts expected in aging but can still perform daily activities, according to the Mayo Clinic. The condition often progresses into Alzheimer's within a few years.
Scientists at the University of South Florida and the University of Miami monitored 124 people aged between 65 and 88, testing their blood caffeine levels and their cognitive ability for two to four years.
Caffeine levels among those who developed dementia were 51 per cent lower than those who did not.
"Coffee would appear to be the major or perhaps only source of caffeine for such stable MCI (mild cognitive impairment) patients," the authors of the study wrote.
"This case-control study provides the first direct evidence that caffeine/coffee intake is associated with a reduced risk of dementia or delayed onset, particularly for those who already have MCI."
Tagged in Health Alzheimer's University Alzheimer's Disease