That mug of morning coffee may do more than keep you from falling asleep at your desk. New research shows it could also help treat or stave off memory loss, a key symptom of Alzheimer’s disease.
Studies have found that giving lab mice the equivalent of 500 milligrams of caffeine per day had a positive impact on their memory, according to CBS‘ The Early Show.
The researchers found that the caffeine had “a very positive effect on their memory and thinking actions over a two-month period,” Dr. Jennifer Ashton told The Early Show. “So put another one in the column of a good effect of caffeine.”
The research, published online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that for mice with the rodent equivalent of Alzheimer’s disease, consuming the caffeine-spiked drinking water resulted in a 50 percent reduction in the levels of a protein in the brain that is a key aspect of the disease, according to an article in The Mirror.
Two months later, the caffeinated rodents did much better on memory tests than mice given “straight” water, reports The Mirror, and their memories were as sharp as the memories of older, healthy mice.
If humans got the same dose for their body weight, they’d be consuming some 500 milligrams of caffeine, reports The Mirror. This is the same as drinking 14 cups of tea, 20 cola drinks or two cups of very strong coffee.
Gary Arendash, a neuroscientist who led the current research, was quoted in The Mirror as saying, “Caffeine could be a viable treatment for established Alzheimer’s disease, and not simply a protective strategy. That’s important because caffeine is a safe drug for most people.”
But just because caffeine treats memory loss in mice doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good for humans, says Eric Hall, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
“A human being’s brain processes very differently than a mouse’s brain, so the public has to be cautious,” Hall said.
“This is a first step, but there are a lot more steps to be done. We are hopeful, but many failed clinical trials can testify to the fact that what works in mice doesn’t always work in humans.”
Between 2.5 million and 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, says Hall, and the numbers are growing annually as baby boomers age. About 1 in 8 people will develop Alzheimer’s by age 65, and 50 percent of those over age 85 suffer with the disorder, he notes.
Within 50 years, 1 in 5 New Yorkers either will have Alzheimer’s disease or be taking care of someone who does, says Lou-Ellen Barkan, president and CEO of the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
“All research is promising and anything that shows efficacy in the lab is worth exploring,” she said. “Caffeine, while it’s a drug, is something that many of us take every day. That would be a nice outcome if all you had to do to prevent Alzheimer’s was drink two cups of coffee a day.”
Pregnant women and those with high blood pressure should avoid too much caffeine, Dr. Arendash said, according to The Mirror.
Hall, who’s been getting a lot of calls from family members of Alzheimer’s patients about whether to give them coffee, cautions against bumping up caffeine consumption just because of this research.
“Obviously conversations must be had with your primary care doctor,” Hall said. “And I would reach out to a specialist before you start drinking a lot of caffeine or giving it to someone in your family who has Alzheimer’s.”
