Alzheimer’s disease is a disorder that causes brain cells to degenerate and die. It is a severe case of dementia, wherein there is a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral skills and social skills, and completely disrupts a person’s ability to function independently.
While there is no treatment that cures Alzheimer’s disease, in advanced stages of the disease, complications such as dehydration, malnutrition or infection due to loss of brain function may even lead to death.
Modern studies have shown that medications for Alzheimer’s disease can at the most slow the rate of decline in brain functioning. Studies have also shown that certain foods and lifestyle factors can be adopted to protect ourselves from being affected by Alzheimer’s disease. In this regard, studies have found that coffee that may otherwise have negative side effects can improve our health and boost brain power. This may delay Alzheimer’s disease and improve our memory as we age.
Caffeine blocks inflammation in the brain
Recent studies show that caffeine and coffee can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, even in people who already have some form of mild dementia. Caffeine is known to block inflammation in the brain, especially the effects of adenosine receptors, which start off a chain of reaction, and in turn, begin the mind’s cognitive decline. The effects of adenosine in the brain keep us awake. So, researchers believe that coffee could block the effects of adenine and adenosine on immune cells, too, and reduce their ability to cause inflammation.
The effects of coffee is so positive on inflammation in the brain that adults over the age of 65, who have higher levels of caffeine in their blood, were found to have avoided or delayed the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
A study concluded with some intriguing results that suggest that senior adults with mild memory impairment, who drink about three cups of coffee a day, will not get Alzheimer’s disease or at least will experience a significant delay in converting to Alzheimer’s disease.
Coffee’s positively effects on key protein
Similar to the beta-amyloid protein, the tau protein is also closely linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Tau proteins in the brains of a person with Alzheimer’s disease are misfolded and abnormally shaped. The normal tau protein is a part of a microtubule, and one of the functions of the microtubule is to help transport nutrients and other substances from one part of the nerve cell to another.
Build-up of tau proteins in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, and the tangles of tau can kill brain cells and lead to cognitive decline in memory.
Another study showed that coffee has a positive effect on the tau protein. Caffeine is known to be an adenosine receptor antagonist, which blocks some receptors in the brain and stop them from contributing to the buildup of and entanglement of tau. Researchers believe that their findings can lead to a new class of drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Coffee boosts brain function and memory
A University of California study found that people who consumed 200 mg of caffeine before taking a memory test had scored significantly better. Participants were asked to look at some images and take the caffeine pill. A day later when they came back, they were asked to identify the images that they had seen, images they had not seen, and images that were similar to the ones they have seen. Researchers were surprised to find that caffeine enhanced the long-term memory by improving the consolidation process. As a result, they could recall easily. Participants who took 300 mg of caffeine did significantly better in the test, but they reported some negative side effects like a feeling of jitteriness and headache.
Coffee protects against type 2 diabetes, which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease
Studies have shown that coffee can protect against type 2 diabetes, which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease. It is found that even decaffeinated coffee can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study found that consumption of six cups of coffee a day could lower risk of type 2 diabetes by 33%. The study also found that increasing the coffee intake by one cup per day led to a 9% reduction in risk while one cup per day of decaf coffee led to a 6% reduction in risk. It is found that about 70% of the people who suffer from type 2 diabetes develop Alzheimer’s disease when they age. Some studies even suggest that Alzheimer’s disease may be the third type of diabetes
