Three cups of coffee a day can greatly reduce dementia risk

Three cups of coffee daily to protect against Alzheimer's
The number of dementia patients continues to rise. In Germany alone, around 1.5 million people suffer from dementia, most of whom have Alzheimer's disease. Scientists have now discovered that the risk of getting sick can be reduced by consuming coffee.

Coffee is healthier than expected
Although coffee was long considered harmful to health, today it is known that the popular hot drink is healthier than most people believe. It can be good for the heart and also prevent arteriosclerosis. In addition, according to scientific studies, coffee can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. And now scientists have found that consuming coffee can also reduce the risk of dementia.

According to a recent study, moderate coffee consumption can reduce the risk of dementia. Three to five cups a day lead to a reduction of risk by up to 27 percent. (Image: ZoomTeam / fotolia.com)

Three to five cups of coffee a day
According to a report from the International Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), moderate coffee consumption has an impact on stopping cognitive decline.

Coffee is full of antioxidants designed to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or liver disease. But they should also protect against Alzheimer's.

According to the current study, the risk of developing dementia is reduced by up to 27 percent by consuming three to five cups of coffee per day.

Curbing deceleration
"Healthcare professionals play an important role in providing their patients with accurate, state-of-the-art information - so they can follow a healthy diet and lifestyle, and thus curb age-related cognitive decline," said Professor Rodrigo Cunha of the University of California University of Coimbra in Portugal.

"Moderate coffee enjoyment could play a significant role, which in turn would be reflected in health care spending in Europe," said the expert.

A cup of coffee usually contains about 75 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends that healthy people eat no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day.

Where caffeine works in the brain
The fact that caffeine in coffee can work against Alzheimer's has also been shown in previous studies. For example, scientists recently reported that coffee consumption may reduce the risk of dementia in women.

Researchers at the German Research Center Jülich already found out years ago that "caffeine works in exactly the brain regions that are also affected by Alzheimer's disease", as Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Bauer from the Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine said at that time. (Ad)