Coffee lovers rejoice! Your jittery cravings and impulsive visits to Starbucks got even more healthier. A recent study has claimed that drinking 3 cups of coffee daily can reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and dementia with a significant decline in other cognitive disorders.
The report published by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee(ISIC), an organisation committed to knowing the scientific effects of coffee on health has highlighted the latest research on coffee that shows that it helps to provide protection against age related cognitive and many other neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinsonism and could also aid in Alzheimer’s treatment.
According to the study, drinking moderate amounts of coffee reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s by at least 27%. The exact mechanisms on how coffee helps in reducing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s symptoms is unknown, but it is likely that caffeine can play a role.
Coffee also contains a number of antioxidants such as caffeic acid, that play a role in helping with age related dementia and other cognition related illnesses.
In adults, coffee may help to normalize the cognitive symptoms instead of boosting it, whereas consuming coffee for longer periods helps in declining the symptoms of alzheimer’s as the body ages.
The ISIC surveyed over 4000 respondents to find out how they perceive drinking coffee to their health. It showed that 64% of people aged 55 years and above thought that coffee did not help in helping with mental health while 62% felt coffee was neither good nor bad for helping with illnesses like Parkinson’s and dementia.
Overall it may seem that the population is confused over the health benefits of coffee on cognitive health.
Feeling lethargic and fatigued has to do with adenosine, a substance that binds with adenosine receptors which acts a depressant in the central nervous system which could be the key to improving age related cognitive decline. Since coffee molecules also have a structure similar to adenosine that binds to the adenosine receptor as an ‘impostor’ triggering the feelings of alertness instead.
The statement released by the ISIC states that it is difficult to determine the ideal intake of coffee because of the genetic differences in the populations across the globe and the individual metabolic variations and reactions to caffeine.
A scientific opinion given by the European Food Safety Authority, taking 400 mg of caffeine a day which equals 5 cups is safe for daily consumption and should not raise any health concerns.
It’s time to brew another cup of healthy coffee perhaps?
Liked this article? Also read Still taking opioid painkillers for backpain? Time to rethink, say doctors
Reference: Coffee & health : from the institute for scientific information on coffee
