Coffee and Dementia… A Study Reveals the Unexpected!

Due to its refreshing taste and aroma, which stimulate all human senses, coffee is considered the essential morning drink for most people, regardless of its type. A new study has shown that older adults who regularly drink coffee are less likely to develop dementia.

However, the surprising finding is that this effect applies only to unsweetened, caffeinated coffee, according to Science Alert.

Coffee Without Sugar

The link was discovered through a study of health records of 204,847 individuals in the UK, aged between 40 and 69 at the start of the study, conducted by researchers from institutions in China. The records included coffee consumption habits and dementia diagnoses over an average period of 9 years.

The researchers stated, “Higher consumption of caffeinated coffee, particularly the unsweetened type, was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, related dementia, and Parkinson’s disease.” They added, “Such associations were not observed for coffee sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners.”

 

More Than 3 Cups

To help analyze the data, the researchers used participants’ self-reported coffee intake to divide them into five groups: those who consumed 0 to 1 cup per day, 1 to 2 cups per day, 2 to 3 cups per day, and more than 3 cups per day.

The group consuming more than 3 cups per day showed the most statistically significant results. Overall, compared to non-coffee drinkers, those who consumed any amount of coffee were at least 34% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and related diseases, 37% less likely to develop Parkinson’s, and 47% less likely to die from a neurodegenerative disease.

Properties of Caffeine

 

The researchers emphasized that the coffee must be unsweetened and contain caffeine for these associations to hold. They suggested that certain properties in caffeine might protect the brain from dementia—and that sugar and artificial sweeteners might interfere with caffeine’s benefits. However, further studies are needed to confirm this with certainty.