Posted on April 20th, 2022

Drinking coffee may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to findings published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. The study followed a sample of older adults for 10 years and found that those who consumed more coffee showed slower cognitive decline, slower Aβ-amyloid accumulation, and a lower likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a form of dementia that involves progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. This neurodegeneration is believed to be caused by a build-up of a protein called Aβ-amyloid that causes inflammation in the brain. Scientific studies have uncovered promising evidence that coffee consumption might lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, but there has been minimal longitudinal research on this topic.

“Worldwide, a high proportion of adults drink coffee daily, making it one of the most popular beverages globally. In the absence of effective disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, our research is looking at modifiable risk factors that could delay the onset of the disease,” said study author Samantha L. Gardener of Edith Cowan University. “Even a 5-year delay would have a massive social and economic benefit, and these dietary modifications are generally accessible to all as well as being less expensive than medications and with less side effects.”

Gardener and her team examined longitudinal data from a larger study called the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle study of ageing (AIBL). A sample of 227 older adults who were an average of 69 years old at baseline completed questionnaires that included a question on their coffee drinking habits.

The participants also completed a battery of questionnaires that assessed six cognitive domains — episodic recall memory, recognition memory, executive function, language, attention and processing speed — as well as the AIBL Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC). These cognitive assessments were completed at baseline and then again on up to seven different occasions across a 10-year period.

Throughout the 10 years, a subset of participants also underwent multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to measure brain volume changes and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans to assess Aβ-amyloid accumulation. These scans were also taken on up to seven different occasions.

Original article: https://www.psypost.org/2022/04/study-offers-new-evidence-that-drinking-coffee-can-protect-against-alzheimers-disease-62966