Daily consumption of coffee or tea may support healthy brain aging, according to a new study.
Moderate caffeine intake—two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of tea per day—may lower the risk of dementia, slow cognitive decline, and help maintain mental abilities.
“Looking for potential ways to prevent dementia, we hypothesized that a widely consumed beverage like coffee could be a promising dietary intervention,” said senior author Daniel Wang, a research fellow in the Department of Medicine at Mass General Brigham and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.
The study, published in JAMA, found that moderate caffeine consumption was associated with up to an 18% reduced risk of developing dementia.
The strongest effects were observed in participants who consumed caffeine in moderate amounts, according to Euronews. However, higher caffeine intake did not have negative effects and appeared to provide a similar neuroprotective benefit as moderate consumption.
Coffee and tea contain bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols and caffeine, which may act as neuroprotective agents by reducing inflammation, preventing cellular damage, and supporting cognitive health.
The study included more than 130,000 participants whose diet, dementia risk, and cognitive function were assessed. Participants were followed for up to 43 years, allowing researchers to track how caffeinated coffee, tea, and decaffeinated coffee affected dementia risk and cognitive health over time.
During the follow-up period, 11,033 participants developed dementia.
Both men and women with the highest caffeine intake had an 18% lower risk of dementia compared to those who consumed little or no caffeinated beverages.
Coffee drinkers also reported fewer symptoms of subjective cognitive decline—self-perceived memory problems or confusion—7.8% versus 9.5%.
Previous research has linked caffeine to improved insulin sensitivity and vascular function, which may partly explain its protective effects against cognitive decline.
The authors note that, as this was an observational study, the results do not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The study also did not account for differences between types of tea and coffee or preparation methods, such as roasting level, origin of the beans, or brewing techniques.
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