A long-term study has found that people who drink caffeinated coffee and tea may have a lower risk of developing dementia.
The study, published in the medical journal JAMA, looked at data from 131,821 people who took part in two large studies conducted between 1986 and 2023. During this period, 11,033 participants were diagnosed with dementia.
Researchers examined how much coffee, caffeinated tea, and decaffeinated coffee participants said they drank. They then tracked their brain health over many years. The results showed that men and women who drank the highest amounts of caffeinated coffee had an 18 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who drank little or none. Coffee drinkers also showed lower levels of cognitive decline.
Notably, the protective effect seemed strongest among people who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day or one to two cups of caffeinated tea daily.
However, experts cautioned that the risk reduction was modest. The study only found a link between caffeine consumption and lower dementia risk; it did not prove that caffeine was the direct cause. The authors said more research is needed to confirm the findings.
Researchers also noted that other factors could have influenced the results. For instance, some people may avoid caffeinated drinks because of health problems such as high blood pressure, which itself increases the risk of dementia. To reduce such bias, the study excluded participants who had major chronic illnesses at the start.
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