Could coffee ward off dementia? Study reports lower risk in certain circumstances

New York’s Staten Island. Regular coffee drinkers are less likely to acquire dementia, according to a recent study.

However, the study, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, discovered that the association only holds true for caffeinated, unsweetened coffee.

By examining the medical data of 204,847 individuals in the UK who were between the ages of 40 and 69 at the beginning of the study period, the connection was discovered.

Both coffee consumption patterns and dementia diagnosis for an average of nine years were documented.

According to a report published in the Journal, researchers found that consuming more caffeinated coffee, especially the unsweetened form, was linked to lower chances of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. For coffee that was artificially or sugar-sweetened, no such correlations were seen.

The researchers divided the individuals into five groups based on their reported coffee consumption: those who did not drink coffee, those who drank 0–1 cups daily, those who drank 1–2 cups daily, those who drank 2–3 cups daily, and those who drank more than 3 cups daily.

The final group had the highest statistical significance. Overall, however, coffee drinkers of any quantity had a 47% lower risk of dying from a neurodegenerative disease throughout the trial, a 37% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, and a 34% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and related disorders than non-drinkers.

But for these associations to hold, the coffee had to be caffeinated and unsweetened. Although sugar and artificial sweeteners may be interfering with the benefits of caffeine, the researchers believe that some of its qualities may be protecting the brain against dementia. However, further research is required to be certain, the paper stated.

According to the researchers, a number of processes point to a possible link between drinking unsweetened and caffeinated coffee and neurodegenerative illnesses.

The authors of the study acknowledged that it is unclear whether coffee consumption prevents dementia, whether the early stages of dementia are changing people’s coffee consumption, or whether there is a third unidentified factor influencing both coffee consumption and dementia risk.

According to them, given the complexity of the brain and neurodegenerative illnesses, several different processes are probably at work.

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