Drink Coffee to Beat Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease is devastating, not only to those who suffer from it but also to their family members and to society as a whole. Over the past few years, research being conducted around the world has seemed to suggest that caffeine might help offset one of Alzheimer’s most devastating symptoms — memory loss. Several studies strongly suggested that both women and men who drink coffee regularly throughout their lives are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease from those who don’t drink caffeinated beverages.

Two cups of coffee a day reverses the effect of Alzheimer’s, a major new study reveals. Scientists at the Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in the US found that caffeine not only helps to stave off the disease, but can be a beneficial treatment, as it sharpens the memory.

A key aspect of Alzheimer’s is the presence of sticky clumps of abnormal protein in the brain called beta amyloid plaques. Mice with a rodent form of dementia showed a 50 percent reduction in levels of amyloid protein after scientists introduced caffeine into their drinking water. The mice developed better memories and quicker thinking. Humans receiving an equivalent dose of caffeine would have a consume 500mg of caffeine a day — equal to five cups of coffee or two cups of strong ‘coffee shop’ coffee.