Coffee and Your Brain

1 min

Investigators from the University of South Australia looked at the effects of habitual coffee consumption on the brains of 17,702 adults between the ages of 37 and 73. They found that those who downed more than six cups daily had a risk of dementia that was 53 percent higher than average. Study leader Kitty Pham reported that she and her team “consistently found that higher coffee consumption was significantly associated with reduced brain volume” and that drinking more than six cups daily “may be putting you at risk of brain diseases such as dementia and stroke.” She described the study as “the most extensive investigation into the connections between coffee, brain volume measurements, the risks of dementia, and the risks of stroke.” Professor Elina Hyppönen, Ph.D., the Australian study’s senior investigator, added that “together with other genetic evidence and a randomized controlled trial” the new data “strongly suggest that high coffee consumption can adversely affect brain health”.

Dementia is a progressive decline in mental ability, affecting memory, thinking, judgment, attention span and learning. Although it usually develops after the age of 60, dementia is not a natural part of aging. Dr. Hypponen. said that “while the exact mechanisms (that increase the risks of dementia among people who drink a lot of coffee) are not known, one simple thing we can do is keep hydrated and remember to drink a bit of water alongside that cup of coffee.” Here’s where you can read about the causes and symptoms of dementia.

Source:
Kitty Pham et al, “High coffee consumption, brain volume and risk of dementia and stroke,” Kitty Pham doi/10.1080/1028415X.2021.1945858

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