study<\/a> that tracked people over 43 years found that drinking two to three cups of coffee daily may lower your chances of developing dementia later in life. And yes, that applies to tea drinkers too, with one big catch: the association was observed only with caffeinated coffee and tea. <\/p>\nThe study followed more than 130,000 people and found that those who drank between one and five cups of caffeinated coffee per day had about a 20 percent lower risk of developing dementia. People who drank at least one cup of caffeinated tea daily had about a 15 percent lower risk. Notably, participants tended to drink roughly the same amount of coffee over decades, suggesting this is a consistent habit rather than an occasional sip. <\/p>\n
That said, it doesn’t actually prove caffeine causes brain health benefits. It’s possible that other lifestyle factors are driving the results. Still, scientists suspect that caffeine may help protect brain function by reducing neuroinflammation and supporting vascular function. Some research also suggests caffeine can improve insulin sensitivity, which may help protect against diabetes, another dementia risk factor. <\/p>\n\nThe study found the benefits didn\u2019t appear to increase after about three cups of coffee per day. In other words, three cups and five cups seemed to land in the same place, possibly because the body can only metabolize so many of coffee and tea’s bioactive compounds. The association between caffeine intake and lower dementia risk was also strongest in people under 75, suggesting that forming consistent habits earlier in life may matter for the later payoff.<\/p>\n
We tapped nutritionist Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, for her take. “As a dietitian, I find this study intriguing, but it\u2019s important to interpret the findings with caution,” she tells us. “While the results suggest that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee (2-3 cups\/day) and tea (1-2 cups\/day) may be associated with a lower risk of dementia and modestly better cognitive function, there are several factors to consider.” <\/p>\n
For starters, not everyone tolerates caffeine well (hi, it’s me). “For individuals sensitive to caffeine, even moderate intake can lead to side effects like anxiety, insomnia, or increased heart rate, which may outweigh potential cognitive benefits,” Manaker explains. So while caffeine may be a great option for those who already drink it comfortably, this doesn’t necessarily mean everyone should start chugging lattes. <\/p>\n
Manaker also points out that what you add to your coffee or tea matters. Piling on sugar, flavored syrups, and heavy creamers could cancel out some potential health upsides. Plus, the study relied on self-reported data, which can introduce bias.<\/p>\n
Bottom line? “While these findings are promising, coffee and tea should be part of an overall balanced diet rich in whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats,” Manaker says, “which are also critical for brain health.” \n\n\n
Drinking two to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day was linked to a lower risk of dementia in a large study that followed people for 43 years. Caffeinated tea was also associated with reduced dementia risk, but decaf versions weren’t. Experts say the findings are interesting but not proof […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2203,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}