A recent study suggests that individuals who consume coffee or tea daily may have a lower risk of developing memory disorders compared to non-drinkers. The research was published in the JAMA journal of the American Medical Association and utilized health data from over 130,000 Americans collected across two significant longitudinal studies. Participants, who averaged around fifty years old at the start of the 40-year follow-up, reported on their dietary habits, lifestyles, and caffeine consumption every four years, and during this period, 11,000 participants were diagnosed with dementia.

The analysis revealed that those who frequently consumed caffeinated coffee or tea had a nearly 20% lower likelihood of developing dementia than those who consumed these beverages infrequently. Notably, decaffeinated coffee did not show any protective benefits against dementia risk. The strongest association with lower dementia risk was observed among participants who drank 2-3 cups of coffee or 1-2 cups of tea daily, whereas higher amounts did not correlate with additional benefits.

These findings highlight a potential dietary intervention in the fight against cognitive decline, though more research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms. The results may encourage increased consumption of caffeinated beverages as a preventive measure against memory disorders, impacting public health policies and personal lifestyle choices in Finland and beyond.