Coffee may reduce risk of dementia

Drinking coffee in middle age can decrease the risk of dementia later in life, a new study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease suggests. Those who drink coffee in midlife have a lower risk for late-onset dementia and Alzheimer's disease compared to those who drink little or no coffee. Researchers found the lowest risk among moderate coffee drinkers, or those who drank three to five cups a day. Their dementia or Alzheimer's risk was lowered by 65 per cent.

The study included data from patients who had participated in health surveys throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The average follow-up rate was 21 years. The researchers decided to study the association between coffee consumption in midlife and the development of late-onset dementia or Alzheimer's "because the long-term impact of caffeine on the central nervous system was still unknown" and because the processes that lead to these conditions may start decades before symptoms appear.

Bonnie - a significant study because the focus was long-term effects. In this case, coffee was found to be preventative. However, coffee loaded with sugar and milk/cream, as seen in other studies, lowers the protective effect greatly.