High Coffee Intake Can Increase Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Elderly people who enjoy a cup or two of coffee every day experience benefits to their cognitive skills compared to those who do not regularly drink the beverage, according to a new study conducted by researchers in Italy. Not only does it keep us awake, it also works well enough in staving off depression, heart disease, and other illnesses. Even current researches has found that it also contains a advantageous result against diabetes and liver health conditions. MCI is a form of dementia that reduces cognitive function somewhat more than aging does alone, and it is associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer’s.

The researchers did not find any noticeable connection between mild cognitive impairment and coffee consumption in the case of participants who had more than two cups per day in comparison with those participants who never or rarely drank coffee. But if you’re thinking of drinking more coffee than usual, it might not be that good an idea after all, in light of the recent findings. Brain imaging research is increasingly focusing on these properties to see how they play out across various brain areas, particularly those most susceptible to cognitive decline in the early stages of dementia.

Moreover, those who habitually consumed moderate amount of coffee (1 or 2 cups of coffee per day) had a reduced rate of the incidence of MCI than those who habitually never or rarely consumed coffee.

Panza and Solfrizzi added that the study also confirms the previous assumptions that the consumption of caffeine can help protect people from dementia and cognitive decline.

The study analyzed 1,445 individuals between the ages of 64 and 84, over the course of three-and-a-half years. Keeping in mind that coffee is acidic as well as having stimulating effect on humans due to its caffeine content. Supposedly, the increase of coffee consumption possibly leads to MCI, better known as mild cognitive impairment. However, researchers do have some ideas.

For example, they hypothesize that the main compound in coffee, caffeine, may lower activation of adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs), reducing damage caused by beta-amyloid – a protein fragment that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, impairing communication between nerve cells.

Eskelinen, M. H., & Kivipelto, M. (2014).

The findings are detailed in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Rivas, A. (2014, November 26). GoodTherapy.org did not participate in or condone any studies, or conclucions thereof, that may have been cited.