Most of us will have had a cup of coffee (or tea) in the morning to help kickstart our brains for the day. However, according to a new study spanning over 40 years of observation, caffeine may do more than just help us wake up. It might also be a physical protection for the brain against age-related decline.

Researchers from Mass General Brigham, Harvard, and the Broad Institute have published the findings of one of the longest and most comprehensive studies into dementia and brain health to date. Over 131,821 individuals were observed for up to 43 years. The findings revealed that those who consumed caffeine had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia.

In the research, individuals who drank between 2 and 3 cups of coffee or 1 and 2 cups of tea every day had an 18% reduced risk of developing dementia compared to those who did not consume these beverages. Furthermore, these individuals performed better on objective tests of cognition and reported fewer subjective reports of cognitive decline.

Interestingly, the benefits of coffee and tea (at least in this study) did not appear for those who drank the decaffeinated versions of these beverages. This indicates that while the antioxidants in coffee and tea are beneficial for the body, it is the caffeine that protects the brain.

As the experts behind this research study stated in their official publications, this study was undertaken to investigate whether a common habit, such as drinking coffee, could help prevent dementia. According to senior author Daniel Wang, MD, ScD:

“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.”

However, the researchers also qualify these findings, noting that while these results are encouraging, the effect size is small compared to other factors that can influence cognition as we age. According to Dr. Wang:

“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.”

Perhaps the most inspiring finding for the Tomorrow’s World Today audience is that the benefits of coffee were independent of an individual’s genetic risk factors for dementia. Lead author Yu Zhang, MBBS, MS, shared the following regarding these findings:

“We also compared people with different genetic predispositions to developing dementia and saw the same results — meaning coffee or caffeine is likely equally beneficial for people with high and low genetic risk of developing dementia.”

As we work to create a world in which individuals live longer, healthier lives, perhaps one of the “how it’s made” components of creating healthy brains is in our morning brew.