Coffee May Improve Alzheimer's Symptoms and Memory Loss

A U.S. scientist makes a startling claim: if he had a family history of Alzheimer's, to help protect himself from the disease, he'd definitely be taking 500 mgs of caffeine a day through coffee-drinking. New research shows that drinking coffee daily not only may prevent brain changes that cause Alzheimer's Disease, it also may help reverse dementia. Since caffeine strengthens the blood-brain barrier, and suppresses some types of brain inflammation, daily coffee drinking may help blunt the brain impact of diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis as well.

Daily coffee could reverse memory problems

According to Science Daily, a Finnish study found that people who were coffee-drinkers at mid-life "had lower risk for dementia and Alzheimer's Disease later in life compared to those drinking no or only little coffee." The study found that the lowest risk for dementia and AD --- a 65% reduction --- "was found among moderate coffee drinkers (drinking 3-5 cups of coffee/day)."

Findings at the University of Florida went further. There researchers discovered that, in mice with Alzheimer's, a two-month treatment with caffeine actually reversed memory problems. ABC News reports that Dr. Gary Arendash, the lead researcher, stated the treatment, "quite remarkably," also caused an almost 50 percent reduction in Alzheimer's pathology in the brain. Arendash cautioned that "although mice and human brains are similar in key ways, the results cannot be assumed to be directly applicable to humans."

Coffee is a functional food

If coffee were some wacky potion that was only available through, say, multi-level marketing schemes, it might be wise to wait for further human trials before trying "therapeutic" coffee-drinking. But coffee isn't a wacky potion. It's a well-established, well-studied functional food. Coffee, according to Encyclopedia, is "the most popular drink in the world after water;" it is "a functional plant whose seeds produce a beverage that provides health benefits."

So, all those who love their cup of joe can say "yeah, baby!" to that. While the caffeine in coffee is a psychostimulant, it is unquestionably safe for most healthy people. In fact, the Journal of Neuroinflammation reported that daily coffee strengthens the "blood brain barrier." The blood-brain barrier is a filter that "protects the central nervous system from potentially harmful chemicals carried around in the rest of the bloodstream."

The blood-brain barrier plays a role in brain inflammation in many diseases. In autoimmune diseases, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, brain inflammation can be manifested as fatigue, listlessness, exhaustion and depression. While the University of Florida researchers studied Alzheimer's and dementia, the scientists did suggest that drinking coffee every day "suppresses inflammatory changes in the brain."

Coffee is good stuff

If you need more science before you, well, wake up and smell the coffee, how about this one from the Annals of Internal Medicine? This study suggests that coffee drinkers have slightly lower death rates from all causes than non-coffee drinkers. And coffee may help bad breath, too. Just saying!

Coffee is a natural way to take caffeine. And it just may be a natural way to protect the brain from dementia and Alzheimer's Disease --- and even other diseases and conditions that entail brain inflammation. So if you already enjoy coffee-drinking, next time lift your cup with extra good cheer.

More B.A. Rogers: Have a coffee klatch! For easy-to-make homemade cake and coffee, check out "Olive Oil Cake by Giada De Laurentis with Almond and Citrus."

Sources:

"Coffee 'could reverse Alzheimer's effects,'" ABC News, Australia.

"Midlife Coffee And Tea Drinking May Protect Against Late-life Dementia," Science Daily.

Carly Laird , "Coffee 'may reverse Alzheimer's'," BBC.

"It's Not Just Caffeine!," Encyclopedia.

Bruce A. Goldberger, PhD, et al., "Evaluation of Current Caffeine Content of Coffee Beverages: Recommendations for Clinicians Regarding Caffeine Exposure," Psychiatry, University of Florida.

"Daily caffeine 'protects brain'," BBC.

B.A. Rogers, "Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fatigue, Exhaustion, Listlessness: It Actually is in Your Head," Associated Content.

"Coffee Drinkers Have Slightly Lower Death Rates, Study Finds," Science Daily.

"A Breath Mint Made From . . . Coffee?," Science Daily.