Caffeine May Protect Against Cognitive Decline

Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor

A study published in the May 2010 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease recently found that caffeine may protect against cognitive decline that occurs as a result of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

The study was conducted by an impressive group of international researchers which analyzed dozens of studies on the effect of caffeine on cognitive function.

The researchers reported a number of key findings showing that caffeine may effectively:

• Normalize brain function and prevent degeneration

• Reduce effects of Alzheimer’s

• Improve memory and overall cognitive performance

• Protect against Parkinson’s disease

Depressive symptoms are one of the most prevalent complications of cognitive decline and the researchers noted that caffeine’s effect on mood may be a large contributor to these findings.

They also noted that caffeine appears to reduce amyloid-beta production. Amyloid-beta plays a significant role in the production of plaques in the brain that lead to Alzheimer’s.