Brits with a common heart problem may need not worry about their caffeine intake in later life — as up to five brews a day could reduce their risk of dementia. Scientists from Basel University Hospital in Switzerland found that those aged over 65 who suffered an irregular heart rhythm were less likely to suffer memory-robbing symptoms if they were heavy coffee drinkers.
Participants who drank more than two brews per day, on average, also had lower levels of inflammatory blood markers associated with the degenerative disease, compared to those who drank less.
Speaking of the findings, the researchers said the protective effect may be due to the caffeine in coffee reducing oxidative stress — an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body that usually fight infection. Study authors also suggested caffeine decreases the build-up of amyloid — a protein that clumps together to form plaques — and reduces inflammation and cell death in the brain, which may reduce dementia risk.
But Alzheimer’s Society said this has only been proven in mice and not humans, meaning the connection still is not certain. It follows previous studies showing the benefits of caffeine in old age.
An Italian study from 2023 found extracts of espresso reduced the build-up of the toxic protein called tau — which fuels dementia — when mixed with brain samples in petri dishes.
-Daily Mail.uk
