Over the years, I have heard newspaper and TV reports that coffee is bad for you, then it is not so bad. But could coffee actually be good for you? A study reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease in January 2009 suggest s just that. Although this was an observational study which does not necessarily prove cause and effect, there is a powerful association of coffee drinking with reduced risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (the most common type of dementia).
In this study, 1,409 people aged 65-79 years were followed for an average of 21 years. Sixty-one developed dementia. Individuals who drank 3-5 cups a day of coffee at midlife had a lower risk (65% decreased) for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life compared to those drinking no or little coffee. No benefit was found with decaffeinated coffee, so likely the caffeine conferred the benefit. This is consistent with the known effect that caffeine has in preventing the development of Alzheimer’s pathology in the brains of laboratory animals. No association with drinking tea, although there were few tea drinkers in the group.
Of course, everything we do regarding our health should weigh the benefits and risks of an intervention. Listen to your doctor and avoid caffeinated beverages if advised to do so because of heart palpitations, severe acid reflux disease, or severe osteoporosis. For the rest of us, enjoy those morning cups of Java.
Best wishes for an Optimum Life.
Dr. Kevin
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