This Morning Ritual Will Help You Fight Dementia

And why skipping it or overdoing it could quietly age your brain

How Coffee and Tea Might Help You Reduce the Risk of Dementia

You now have another reason to pay close attention to what you drink each day. A major new observational study suggests that drinking coffee or tea may help lower your risk of developing dementia, especially if you have high blood pressure. The key lies in the amount you consume and the type of beverage you choose.

Key Findings from the Research

Researchers at Ningxia Medical University in China examined data from over 450,000 individuals in the UK Biobank. These participants were followed for an average of 15 years. Roughly half of them had been diagnosed with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

According to the study, coffee drinkers with high blood pressure who consumed one-half to one cup per day had the lowest risk of developing any form of dementia. Those who drank six or more cups daily faced the highest risk.

If you prefer tea, you will be interested to know that tea drinkers with hypertension who consumed four to five cups per day had the lowest risk of all-cause dementia. In contrast, individuals who did not drink tea at all were found to have the highest risk in this group.

Why Hypertension Matters

The researchers focused on individuals with high blood pressure because hypertension is believed to speed up cognitive aging and raise the risk of dementia. "In this study, individuals with hypertension had a higher likelihood of developing dementia compared to the population without hypertension," write the researchers.

They also found, "The statistically significant association between coffee and tea consumption and the risk of dementia was more likely to be found in people with hypertension than in people without hypertension."

Type and Quantity of Beverage Matters

The type of coffee you drink appears to make a difference. Ground coffee, which contains the highest level of caffeine, was linked with the lowest risk of all-cause dementia. In contrast, decaffeinated coffee did not offer the same level of protection.

"The likely reason for this is that different types of coffee have different levels of caffeine, with ground coffee having the highest caffeine content, instant coffee the second highest, and decaffeinated coffee the lowest," the authors suggest.

What the Compounds in These Drinks Might Be Doing

While this study does not establish causation, it supports the idea that caffeine and other bioactive compounds in coffee and tea may influence brain health. Some experimental studies in animals and cells suggest that caffeinated beverages can reduce inflammation, protect the blood-brain barrier, and lower blood pressure.

These protective effects may slow the progression of vascular inflammation, blood-brain barrier leakage, and the buildup of beta-amyloid in blood vessels. As the researchers explain, "These benefits may slow down the progression of vascular inflammation, blood-brain barrier leakage, and beta-amyloid microvascular deposition in hypertensive patients, potentially delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease."

Looking Ahead

While more clinical trials are needed, these findings help explain past inconsistencies in coffee and tea studies that failed to account for beverage type and hypertension. The potential for common drinks like coffee and tea to contribute to cognitive health is gaining attention from neurologists around the world.

Your call to action for coffee tea dementia prevention

If you are managing high blood pressure, now is the time to rethink your beverage habits. Based on the data, consider including one-half to one cup of ground coffee or four to five cups of tea in your daily routine. Choose quality, caffeinated options, and be consistent. These small changes, combined with managing your blood pressure, could help protect your brain in the long run. Speak with your healthcare provider to personalize your approach and stay updated as new clinical evidence emerges.

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