Caffeine's link to dementia uncovered

A new study has claimed that regular intake of caffeine can reduce a person's chances of developing dementia later in life.

According to research conducted at the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, scientists were able to visualise binding sites of caffeine in the living human brain to explore possible positive and negative effects of caffeine consumption for the first time by using molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET).

Dr David Elmenhorst, lead author of Caffeine Occupancy of Human Cerebral A1 Adenosine Receptors: In Vivo Quantification with F-18-CPFPX and PET, stated that the effects of caffeine to the human body are generally attributed to the cerebral adenosine receptors.

"There is substantial evidence that caffeine is protective against neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease," said Dr Elmenhorst, who added moderate coffee consumption of three to five cups per day at mid-life is linked to a reduced risk of dementia in later life.

Research conducted in London and published in the British Journal of Psychiatry recently found people who are affected by dementia may be able to benefit from psychosocial interactions.

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