Increased coffee consumption ups risk of MCI: Study
31 Jul 2015
Like just about everything that we eat, drink or gulp down our throats in huge quantities, coffee too has its share of detractors and supporters.
Some health experts believe that the stimulant caffeine found in coffee can temporarily up heart rate and blood pressure, however, others believe, it contains several compounds and antioxidants that have a number of health benefits.
Previous studies have shown that consumption of the coffee helps lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes and liver disease.
To determine how coffee consumption affected cognition, researchers studied data from the Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA) conducted in Italy and made some interesting discoveries.
The study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease aimed to assess the effect of change or constancy in coffee consumption patterns and the incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
The study involved 1,445, individuals aged 65-84 year.
The researchers found that increased coffee consumption over time might be associated with increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
According to Francesco Panza from the University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy, one of the researchers, the findings from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Ageing suggested that cognitively normal older individuals who never or rarely consumed coffee and those who increased their coffee consumption habits ran an increased risk of developing MCI.
Also people who habitually consumed moderate amount of coffee (1 or 2 cups of coffee per day) had a reduced rate of the incidence of MCI as against those who habitually never or rarely consumed coffee.
No significant association was found between people who habitually consumed higher levels of coffee (more than 2 cups of coffee per day) and the incidence of MCI against those who never or rarely consumed coffee.
"Moderate and regular coffee consumption may have neuroprotective effects also against MCI confirming previous studies on the long-term protective effects of coffee, tea, or caffeine consumption and plasma levels of caffeine against cognitive decline and dementia," said researchers Vincenzo Solfrizzi and Francesco Panza of University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy.
Among the biological effects of caffeine on brain function, modulation of white matter lesions and/or microvascular ischemic lesions, improved insulin sensitivity, so cutting the risk of type 2 diabetes, which a strong risk factor for cognitive decline.
