Dr Michael Mosley: The ‘powerful’ drink that can lower dementia risk – ‘better brain’

Steve Thompson recalls signs of his early-onset dementia

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“I’m about to do something that should increase my alertness, improve my mood, and even boost my morning workout,” said the host of the BBC Radio 4 podcast Just One Thing. “I’m about to drink a cup of freshly brewed coffee that smells absolutely delicious.” From the rich taste to its ability to boost your energy levels, coffee is beloved for a myriad of reasons. However, the “powerful” drink could also reduce your risk of dementia.

Whether you whip up a cup in the morning or reach for a mug as an antidote to the midday slump, coffee offers more than just caffeine.

Dr Mosley said: “But coffee beans don’t just have caffeine.

“They also contain flavonoids and antioxidants, called polyphenol compounds thought to promote better heart health and to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects.”

When it comes to the coffee’s effects on your brain, the goodies are the flavonoids hidden in your cup.

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The podcast host added: “Coffee drinkers like me just lap up the research, showing that coffee can offer a multitude of benefits.

“One of the biggest studies of health in the UK, following half a million people has found that up to three cups a day was linked to both better brain and heart health.

“Specifically, those who consumed that amount had a lower risk of stroke, heart disease and dementia.”

So, enjoying the black drink could not only see your risk of dementia drop but also protect your heart.

However, the Alzheimer’s Society explains that this link might not be as straightforward as it may seem.

The effects of caffeine on getting dementia have been studied many times but the results can be inconsistent.

One “key” study from 2012 shares a similar message to what Dr Mosley is saying.

This research noted that people with mild cognitive impairment, who drank more coffee, didn’t go on to develop dementia.

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However, the results cannot distinguish between cause and effect.

Plus, there’s also research that suggests that having too much of the black drink could increase your risk of the mind-robbing condition instead.

Research, published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, found that heavy coffee drinkers had a 53 percent higher risk of the syndrome.

The risk was approximately the same for people who drank caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee.

However, this research doesn’t suggest that you should give up your daily cup altogether.

The study only shares that it might be important to be mindful of the number of cups you end up having.

As the research is mixed, it’s difficult to draw a firm conclusion on coffee and its effects on the brain.

However, Dr Mosley shares that the drink could be “just one thing” to include in your daily routine.

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