Three cups of coffee a day linked to brain decline many people experience in old age – but tea may help PREVENT it

Too much coffee may accelerate the cognitive decline many people experience in old age, while tea may help prevent it, a study suggests.

Researchers studying data from thousands of Britons found that people who drank more than three cups of coffee a day were more likely to have problems with their memory, reasoning and decision-making skills years later.

In people who did not drink coffee or drank less than three cups of coffee per day, cognitive decline appeared to be slower.

Previous studies have shown that caffeine has a number of health benefits, including a lower risk of stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes.

However, researchers from Murdoch University in Perth claim their findings now suggest there is such a thing as too much coffee.

Too much coffee may accelerate the cognitive decline many people experience in old age – while tea may help prevent it, a study suggests

Researchers examining data from thousands of Britons found that people who drank more than three cups of coffee a day were more likely to have problems with their memory, reasoning and decision-making skills years later.

Researchers examining data from thousands of Britons found that people who drank more than three cups of coffee a day were more likely to have problems with their memory, reasoning and decision-making skills years later.

Some have suggested that the effect could be due to sleep deprivation caused by excessive caffeine consumption.

The study, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, examined adults with healthy mental function over the age of 60. They recorded their tea and coffee consumption and tracked any mental decline over the next 10 years.

More than half of respondents reported drinking between one and three cups of coffee per day, a quarter drank no coffee at all, and only 18 percent drank four or more cups.

In terms of daily tea consumption, only 15 percent reported never drinking tea, 38 percent drank one to three cups, and 47 percent admitted to drinking four or more cups.

Although people who drank more than three cups of coffee a day were more likely to have cognitive decline, this does not mean they developed dementia. It does mean they had more difficulty thinking, learning or remembering.

WHAT IS DEMENTIA?

Dementia is a collective term for a range of progressive neurological disorders, that is, disorders that affect the brain.

There are many different forms of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common.

Some people have a combination of different forms of dementia.

Regardless of what type of dementia is diagnosed, everyone experiences their dementia in their own unique way.

Dementia is a global problem, but it is most common in wealthier countries, where people often live to a very old age.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently more than 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia, with around two in three of them having Alzheimer’s disease.

The number of people with dementia in the UK is expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.

There are an estimated 5.5 million Alzheimer’s patients in the United States. A similar percentage increase is expected in the coming years.

As a person gets older, the risk of dementia also increases.

Diagnoses are improving, but it is suspected that many people with dementia still do not have the correct diagnosis.

IS THERE A CURE?

There is currently no cure for dementia.

But new drugs can slow its progression, and the earlier the disease is detected, the more effective the treatments.

Source: Dementia UK