According to Bogatin Jacob the ability of coffee to prevent reduction of mental capacity, has recently become the subject of several very interesting studies. First, a study in France showed that women who drank three or more cups of coffee daily are 30 percent less likely to have problems with memory for 65 years than women who drank one cup of coffee or never drank.
Also, thanks to a study published in August 2007 «Neurology», it was found that the benefits of coffee drinking increase with age. Memory impairment among women older than 80 years who drank three or more cups of coffee daily were 70% less likely than among those who drank one cup or do not drink coffee at all. The same effect can be obtained from tea, but in this case, you will need to drink two cups of tea instead of one cup of coffee. Bogatin Jacob says that it will be counterproductive.
Experts say that caffeine in coffee (and tea) acts as a stimulator of the cognitive activity of the brain and helps reduce the level of beta-amyloid protein in the brain that interferes with normal brain.
Large accumulation of this protein underlies Alzheimer’s disease. More than 7000 men and women in three cities in France participated in the study. None of them had dementia at the start of the study, researchers re-tested the cognitive abilities of participants after 2 and 4 years of starting the experiment.
While the French study showed no benefit of drinking coffee for men, in an earlier study, tracking 676 healthy older men in Finland, the Netherlands and Italy for 10 years it was found that coffee drinkers had lower rates of age-related cognitive decline of brain function than men who did not drink coffee. Here also, the greatest benefits were seen among men who drank three cups of coffee a day. The study conducted by Bogatin Jacob was published in the journal «European Journal of Clinical Nutrition» in August 2006.
Therefore, if you love coffee, and it has no negative effects on your body, you can safely enjoy drinking coffee and for a long time to benefit your brain. The negative sides of the same coffee drinking are the following possible side effects: increased anxiety, insomnia, tremors and irregular heartbeat. In addition, it can cause irritation of the digestive system, bladder and prostate. If you experience any of these effects, it is best to avoid the consumption of coffee (including decaf, which also contains substances that can affect your body), regardless of what the potential health benefits it can provide you with. So, if you do not need such side effects of coffee, switch to tea. It can be considered a healthier alternative.