Dementia risk could be changed by the amount of coffee and tea you drink in a day
A scientific study has suggested that our daily drinking habits could just have an impact on our chances of developing dementia.
While we all know about the downsides of drinking alcohol and the health issues that can cause, it's actually coffee and tea which was said to have an impact, according to a long-term study conducted in the US.
Anyone living in the UK will know people who knock back several cups of tea every single day, while there's also those of us who simply cannot function at work without a morning coffee.
Although there are some downsides to cheaper cups of tea, which can often contain microplastics in the tea bags, it seems as if US doctors believe that having a couple of cups a day might well be best for our brain.
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The new US analysis included data from the 1980s all the way up to early 2023, and saw researchers select more than 130,000 participants who had not had cancer, Parkinson’s disease or dementia.
After monitoring the significant number of participants and questioning them on their daily tea and coffee intake, the study found that there were 330 new cases of dementia per 100,000 per year among those who didn't drink any caffeinated coffee.
Meanwhile, among moderate consumers, it was 229 per 100,000 per year, with the lowest rate found in those that drank the most.
When you take other contributing factors such as age and smoking into account, it was found that both moderate and high consumption both lowered the risk of dementia by the extremely similar amount of 19 and 19 per cent respectively.
It wasn't just coffee that was bringing the benefits, however, as those who drank more tea also saw a lower risk, although it wasn't established whether or not the tea was caffeinated.
However, it still remains a mystery as to exactly why this is, although inflammation has previously been linked with dementia, and past research has suggested that caffeine can help reduce inflammation.
Other compounds in coffee and tea may lower oxidative stress, which causes cellular damage, so we might actually be getting bang for our buck when we get our daily order from Cafe Nero.
It turns out that drinking a hot liquid isn't just good for making you feel all warm and fuzzy in the winter time, as there are plenty of health benefits associated with it.
Hot water in the morning is another viral health trend which has gained a lot of popularity in recent months, with online influencers all swearing by it.
But you tea and coffee fans might just have another reason to keep on drinking, with this health revelation maybe enough to balance things out and ensure that 'too much' coffee isn't keeping you up at night.
Topics: Health
James Moorhouse