Alzheimer’s is one of the most debated, largely studied and analyzed diseases, as it is a financially costly disease, with more than $100 billion annually spent on special care for the affected individuals. Another $60 billion are leaked in indirect economic costs from absenteeism and lost productivity in the work place. Beyond the economic details, Alzheimer’s is known to affect millions of people all over the world and a cure has not been developed yet. Experts are still working to find the exact causes which could trigger the affection.
The disease is both terrifying and degrading and still very difficult for researchers to fight it. Experts are still not 100% sure how Alzheimer’s develops. We know that the risks are associated with age and family history but there’s still no clear equation that determines the reason why someone develops Alzheimer’s. Pharmaceuticals find it very hard to develop a cure.
But they are on their way. Until then, a new study suggests that caffeine in coffee acts like a special shield for the brain from “the buildup of amyloid plaques, long linked to Alzheimer’s disease”.
It seems that moderate coffee drinkers, namely those who have a balanced coffee drinking routine, are at an extremely lower risk for mild cognitive impairment, compared to non-coffee drinkers. However, the link between coffee and mental health should be further analyzed, before the results of the study could be seen as relevant.
On the other hand, an alternative study suggests that coffee is not as beneficial to people, the more so when one is at the dawn of their youth. Researchers highlight that one or two cups of coffee a day do improve cognitive abilities. Coffee offers us an energy boost, keeps our eyes wide open, makes us go through the day with all engines running fast and leaves a great taste on our taste buds. One or two cups actually lower the risk of mild cognitive impairment. But pay attention to heightened doses, as every added cup to the moderate amount heightens the risk of MCI.
People who are used to drinking more than 2 cups of coffee everyday are exposed to a twice higher risk, compared with individuals who don’t drink coffe at all. So, coffee is good, but in very moderate amounts. Every added dose increases the risk to develop mild cognitive impairment which could later in life lead to Alzheimer’s.
So, the new findings take us deeper into the Alzheimer’s realm and offer us a more insightful approach on the disease. The Alzheimer’s story goes further with relevant information which could help experts make efficient use of all the information they hold. Coffee is controversial, such as Alzheimer’s. There is nevertheless a balance that can be created and a building bridge that could help suppress the early signs of Alzheimer’s. And all this happens with two cups of coffee a day.
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