According to a study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, people who don’t consume as much caffeine are more likely to suffer from mild cognitive impairment, or Alzheimer’s disease.
A team of French researchers has found evidence of how caffeine could have protective effects on the brain.
He study recently published in the magazine Alzheimer’s and dementia suggests that caffeine consumption is associated with a lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s .
What is Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible disease that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Older people are more at risk of developing them and, in general, the first symptoms usually begin after the age of 60.
In this condition, brain proteins do not function normally, which ultimately affects the functioning of brain cells, i.e. neurons. Over time, these become damaged, lose connections between them and die, resulting in brain deterioration.
Some scientists have suggested that Alzheimer’s disease may be caused by a mix of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that ultimately affect the brain, he describes. Mayo Clinic .
Initially, this disease affects areas of the brain related to thinking, language and memory, as evidenced by people having difficulty remembering simple things or things they already know. Then, symptoms worsen: patients do not recognize family members, become disoriented, have difficulty speaking or writing, and have sudden mood swings.
To date, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease However, there are alternatives that can reduce symptoms.
How the study was carried out
In recent research, lead author David Blum and his colleagues wanted to analyze the relationship between caffeine consumption and certain biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease. These biomarkers correspond precisely to proteins beta-amyloid and tau rate the site PsyPost .
The analysis was part of a larger research project called BALTAZAR, which focuses on patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
The team led by Blum focused on studying 263 participants aged over 70, of whom 147 had mild cognitive impairment and 116 had Alzheimer’s disease.
Participants also completed a detailed survey about their drinking habits such as coffee and tea so that researchers know how much caffeine they consume per day. Additionally, they underwent MRI scans and provided blood and spinal fluid samples.
For five years, scientists analyzed the caffeine consumption of these patients. One of the steps they took was to examine the spinal fluid for tau protein and beta-amyloid.
In addition to this, they chose to divide the participants into two groups: one who had a “low caffeine intake” for drinking less than 217 milligrams, and another who had a “high caffeine intake” for consuming more than that amount. The next step was to compare the cognitive state and number of biomarkers in the two groups of participants.
Why caffeine may have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease
According to the study results, people who consumed less caffeine were more likely to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease, compared to those who consumed more caffeine.
According to the team of researchers, those who consumed less caffeine were up to 2.5 times more likely to suffer from one of these diseases, compared to those who consumed more caffeine. The results suggest that the substance is likely to have a protective effect on the brain.
“Our data support an association between lower caffeine consumption and increased risk of amnesia, as well as deleterious changes in CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) biomarkers in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.” , argued the authors.
Another key finding of the study was that participants with lower caffeine intake had more clumps of beta-amyloid protein. Interestingly, the same thing did not happen with tau protein: it did not show major differences due to ingesting more or less caffeine.
Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
