Caffeine may reverse effects of dementia
New research has shown that drinking coffee could help reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, reports the BBC.
The study carried out in Florida tested mice who had been bred to have symptoms of Alzheimer’s. They were then given caffeine equivalent to two shop bought cups of coffee, or 14 cups of tea a day, in their water. The results showed that the mice who had the caffeine performed as well as the mice who didn’t have the symptoms.
There was a 50% reduction of the levels of beta amyloid protein in the brains of the mice that had been given caffeine – beta amyloid protein contributes to forming the destructive clumps in the brain that cause dementia.
Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society said: “This research in mice suggests that coffee may actually reverse some element of memory impairment.
“However much more research is needed to determine whether drinking coffee has the same impact in people.”