Coffee consumption and the development of mild cognitive impairment are related, according to researchers. A recent study investigated the association between patterns in coffee consumption and the incidence of mild cognitive impairment or MCI. The study involved 1,445 individuals aged 65 to 84 years old who also participated in the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Researchers found that those who consumed moderate amounts of coffee, limited to one to two cups a day, had a reduced risk of developing MCI. On the other hand, those who did not drink or drank very little amounts of coffee faced a higher risk of developing MCI.
MCI is a neurodegenerative disorder that marks the early stage of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. It is characterized by difficulty with mental abilities like remembering, thinking and knowing. Most people with MCI struggle with day-to-day memory.
There is no treatment for MCI to date, that's why knowing the risk and protective factors for the condition is important in preventing its development and subsequent progression to Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
The study showed that the caffeine content of coffee makes it "the best known psychoactive stimulant resulting in heightened alertness and arousal and improvement of cognitive performance," the study's authors said in a press release.
Researchers also found that, interestingly, older individuals with normal cognitive functions who increased their coffee consumption over time developed a higher risk for MCI compared to those who decreased their coffee consumption and those who maintained one to two cups a day.
The researchers were not able to find an association between those who regularly consumed more than two cups of coffee daily and the incidence of MCI.
"These findings from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging suggested that cognitively normal older individuals who never or rarely consumed coffee and those who increased their coffee consumption habits had a higher risk of developing MCI," study authors Vincenzo Solfrizzi and Francesco Panza said.
In studies involving mice, caffeine is shown to exhibit a neuroprotective effect against damage caused by the buildup of amyloid protein plaques, which are linked with Alzheimer's disease development. Moderate amounts of caffeine also improved rodent memory, while higher amounts did not, according to CBS News.
"Therefore, moderate and regular coffee consumption may have neuroprotective effects against MCI, confirming previous studies on the long-term protective effects of coffee, tea, or caffeine consumption and plasma levels of caffeine against cognitive decline and dementia," the authors of the study concluded.
The original study and its findings are published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
