Healthy living

Mind matters

Daily cuppa may protect brain

Cup of coffee

Drinking just one cup of coffee a day may help protect against Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, say a team of US scientists writing in the journal Neuroinflammation

Previous studies have found that caffeine has a protective effect on the brain, but until now scientists were unsure why. This study has unlocked the mystery revealing that the caffeine protects the blood brain barrier. This is an essential filter between the vascular system and the brain, which prevents harmful chemicals crossing over from the blood. These harmful chemicals are thought to be responsible for triggering diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Studies have found that high levels of cholesterol in the blood can damage this vital barrier leaving the brain vulnerable to disease.

‘Recent studies indicate that caffeine, the most commonly ingested psychoactive drug in the world is protective against disorders including stroke and Alzheimer’s disease,’ say the authors of the study.

‘Here, we showed for the first time, that caffeine protects against disruption of the blood brain barrier.’

Over the course of 12 weeks researchers from the University of North Dakota gave the equivalent of just one daily cup of coffee to a group of rabbits that had been fed a high-cholesterol diet. Another group did not receive the caffeine supplement. The team found that the blood brain barrier in those given caffeine was significantly more intact than in those denied the stimulant.

About 417,000 people in the UK suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. It is a debilitating brain disorder that causes symptoms including memory loss and confusion. At the moment there is no cure.

‘This is the best evidence yet that caffeine can help protect the brain against cholesterol,’ says Dr Susanne Sorensen, Head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, ‘This research in animals shows that caffeine can help keep the blood brain barrier in good order, even with a diet rich in cholesterol. More research is now needed to determine whether drinking coffee has the same impact on the blood brain barrier in people and can help protect people against dementia.’

Coffee - the health benefits
  1. Drinking 1-3 cups a day is thought to reduce diabetes risk
  2. Studies have found regular coffee drinkers are 80 per cent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease
  3. Just 2 cups a day may reduce the risk of colon cancer by 25 per cent
  4. May also stop a headache, boost mood and even prevent cavities
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Reader comments

An encourageing piece of information about coffee drinking cheers me no end. I am (within weeks) 80 years old and have drunk one cup per day for years. Memory plays me tricks sometimes but the mind is as active, almost as ever it was so perhaps I am doing something right! However, just as important in my view is keeping the mind active,

Posted by: Ken Grayson | 05/04/2008 10:42:06

 

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