Coffee Reduces Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

by Susan Chaityn Lebovits on January 26, 2009 in Sex

Can drinking coffee reduce your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease? According to a study at the University of Kuopio, Finland in collaboration with the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, and the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki, Finland, the answer is yes.

The January 2009 issue of The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (Volume 16:1) reported that the coffee drinking participants involved in a 21-year study had significantly lower incidences.

The consumption of coffee was assessed in three groups: those who drank 0-2 cups; 3-5 cups; and more than 5 cups per day. The study found that coffee drinkers at midlife had lower risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease later in life compared to those drinking no or only little coffee. The lowest risk (65% decreased) was found among those drinking between 3-5 cups of coffee a day.

Perhaps that morning jump-start, afternoon buzz and late night jolt is doing more good than you’d imagined.

Publication: Marjo H. Eskelinen, Tiia Ngandu, Jaakko Tuomilehto, Hilkka Soininen, Miia Kivipelto (2009).

Image: DeaPeaJay

Kari Luoto
December 12th, 2009 at 3:12 PM

Midlife Coffee and Tea Drinking and the Risk of
Late-Life Dementia: A Population-Based CAIDE Study
finds that coffee would prevent dementia, which is
contrary to the existing medical scientific knowledge.

Caffeine is known to cause dementia by interrupting the
normal cycle of apoptosis and neurogenesis in
hippocampus, by enhancing apoptosis and inhibiting
neurogenesis. Prolonged use will cause hippocampal atrophy.

As the altered A-N cycle causes deteriation of
functions dependant of the normal cycle, this affects
memory and spatial learning functions, and as the cell
damage advances, so do the symptoms.

The data in this study has been interpreted as if the
biotransformation and cns-based sensitivity to caffeine
would be homogenous in the entire population. If this
was the case, the study would, without a doubt, be a
very strong evidence, supporting the conclusions of the
research team.

When taking in consideration known medical scientific
knowledge about the pharmacological effects of
caffeine, and their proven connection to dementia, the
raw data of this study leaves only one possible
explanation.

Processes causing dementia may be triggered by various
reactions between endogenic and exogenic factors.

Individuals whose body is well protected against
caffeine induced dementia, are also protected against
other exogenic triggers, while individuals with an
endogenous sensitivity to caffeine, may also be
sensitive to other exogenous triggers.

This is the only way to get the data of the study to
match with proved medical scientific knowledge.