Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
July 12, 2009
Caffeine May Help to Prevent Alzheimer's
Two studies in the July 2009 issue of Journal of
Alzheimer's Disease show that five cups of coffee a day reverse
memory loss in mice with Alzheimer's disease. The coffee also
reduced blood and brain levels of beta-amyloid,the abnormal
protein that may cause Alzheimer's disease in mice and people.
Other studies by the same researchers at the University of
Florida show that caffeine lowers blood levels of beta-amyloid
in elderly non-demented humans, and when given in early adulthood,
prevents memory loss in mice bred to develop Alzheimer's disease
in old age. Previous studies on rabbits also showed that caffeine
may help to prevent Alzheimer's.
Researchers at the Florida Alzheimer's Disease
Research Committee plan to start studies in humans to
evaluate whether caffeine can prevent memory loss of early
Alzheimer's disease. Other experiments by the same group
show that caffeine may prevent memory loss by blocking the
enzymes that make beta amyloid.
The amount of caffeine in two to five cups of coffee
(200 to 500 milligrams) is probably safe, but more than five cups
a day may cause insomnia, nervousness, irritability, nausea,
anxiety, a fast or irregular heartbeat, headaches, breast pain
or muscle tremors. People who have high blood pressure or narrowed
arteries leading to the heart may be advised to restrict caffeine.
However, the Nurse's Study showed that heavy coffee drinking is
not associated with increased risk for high blood pressure.
Unfiltered coffee raises blood levels of the bad LDL cholesterol
and blood sugar levels after eating. Pregnant women are advised
to restrict caffeine since it may cause miscarriage or low
birth weight.
Many studies show that caffeine can improve mood,
alertness and energy, prevent diabetes, Parkinson's disease,
and liver cancer, decrease the risk of stroke and may help
prevent skin cancer. It also increases endurance in athletes. |
