Higher coffee consumption could lower Alzheimer’s risk, study finds

24 Nov 2021 --- Two daily cups of coffee may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to an Australian study, which observed more than 200 individuals for a decade.

“In the absence of effective disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, our research is looking at modifiable risk factors that could delay the onset of the disease,” lead author and post-doctoral research fellow at Edith Cowan University, Dr. Samantha Gardener tells NutritionInsight.

“Even a five-year delay would have a massive social and economic benefit. These dietary modifications are generally accessible to all as well as being less expensive than medications and with fewer side effects.The effects of coffee on Alzheimer’s has been a focus for many scientists as a cure for the disease has yet to be found."

Potential in combating Alzheimer’s
The results showed an association between coffee and several important markers related to Alzheimer’s disease, Gardener adds. 

“We found participants with no memory impairments and with higher coffee consumption at the start of the study had a lower risk of transitioning to mild cognitive impairment – which often precedes Alzheimer’s disease – or developing Alzheimer’s disease over the course of the study.” 

“If the average cup of coffee made at home is 240 g, increasing to two cups a day could potentially lower cognitive decline by 8% after 18 months,” notes Gardener. 

“It’s a simple thing that people can change and could be particularly useful for people who are at risk of cognitive decline but haven’t developed any symptoms.”

Changing to two cups a day could also lead to a 5% decrease in amyloid accumulation in the brain over the same time period. In patients with Alzheimer’s disease, the amyloid clumps together, forming plaques which are toxic to the brain.

Personalization may lead future
Published in Frontiers, the study observed 227 participants, who were aged 60 and above, for over a decade.

A key limitation, however, is that the study did not differentiate between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee or the presence of added ingredients such as milk and sugar. Scientists could not identify any benefits or consequences on how the coffee was brewed.A delay in Alzheimer’s could have a major social and economic benefit.

Studies have suggested a difference in health benefits between the temperature in coffee and the way it is brewed. Hot-brewed coffee made from dark roasts produces a “potentially healthier drink”, containing higher levels of antioxidants and more kinds of acid.

According to Gardener, the study was unable to conclusively suggest a maximum number of cups that could provide a beneficial effect. 

Though this flags the need for further research, she notes that “unfortunately, there will be a limit whereby more cups will not produce any further positive effects.”

“Any future recommendations would also have to be personalized to the individual, taking into consideration any other medical conditions they have that may be contraindicative to coffee consumption.”

A previous study pointed toward certain compounds found in coffee called phenylindanes that may hinder two protein fragments responsible for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s from clumping, therefore potentially aiding in the prevention of these diseases. 

Coffee has also been linked to lowering the risk of stroke by 32% for individuals who drank two to three cups a day, according to a Chinese study. 

By Andria Kades