Regular consumption of caffeine alters the gray matter of the brain. However, this effect of coffee remains temporary, Cerebral Cortex magazine reported referring to a new study from the University of Basel.
The study involved a group of 20 healthy people who drink coffee daily. The scientists gave them caffeine pills - or a placebo - for two 10-day periods. At the end of each period, the participants' gray matter volume was assessed using a brain scan, and the quality of sleep was determined using an EEG.
Participants who received the placebo had higher brain gray matter volume than those who consumed caffeine. The difference was especially noticeable in the right medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory consolidation.
While caffeine appears to reduce gray matter, the subjects' brain tissue recovered after just 10 days of abstaining from coffee, the researchers said.
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