Caffeinated Coffee And Tea Could Protect Against Dementia New research shows that daily caffeinated coffee or tea is associated with better cognitive health in the long term. People having two to three cups of coffee, or one to two cups of tea, a day saw the biggest impact, according to the study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Making use of the data of 131,821 people enrolled in the "Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study", senior author Dr. Daniel Wang, assistant professor in the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, found that "Coffee drinkers in midlife had about an 18% lower chance of developing dementia later on, while tea drinkers had a 14% lower risk." Wang and the team did not observe the same benefit in decaffeinated options. “When searching for possible dementia prevention tools, we thought something as prevalent as coffee may be a promising dietary intervention, and our unique access to high quality data through studies that have been going on for more than 40 years allowed us to follow through on that idea.” said Wang. Other research has supported the idea that caffeinated coffee can be linked to healthier aging and that caffeinated coffee and tea can lower risk for conditions like heart disease. “While our results are encouraging, it’s important to remember that the effect size is small and there are lots of important ways to protect cognitive function as we age. Our study suggests that caffeinated coffee or tea consumption can be one piece of that puzzle.” Wang added. Coffee and tea contain bioactive ingredients like polyphenols and caffeine, which have emerged as possible neuroprotective factors that reduce inflammation and cellular damage while protecting against cognitive decline. Contrary to several previous studies, higher caffeine intake did not yield negative effects. Instead, it provided similar neuroprotective benefits to the optimal dosage.