Harvard-MIT Study: Coffee Lowers Dementia Risk
by Frank Bergman
A major new study is delivering encouraging news for millions of Americans, finding that regular consumption of caffeinated coffee is associated with a significantly lower risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
The study, published in JAMA, was conducted by leading researchers at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Researchers tracking more than 131,000 U.S. adults over four decades identified a clear pattern.
The study found that people who consumed moderate amounts of caffeinated coffee experienced better long-term brain health outcomes than those who drank little or none.
Clear Link Between Caffeine and Brain Protection
The study reported that higher intake of caffeinated coffee was associated with reduced dementia risk.
The results show a hazard ratio of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.76 to 0.89) when comparing the highest and lowest consumption groups.
Participants who consumed more caffeine also reported less subjective cognitive decline, with a prevalence of 7.8% among higher-intake individuals versus 9.5% among lower-intake groups.
Notably, the strongest protective association appeared at moderate consumption levels.
The scientists note that moderate consumption is roughly two to three cups per day.
By contrast, decaffeinated coffee showed no meaningful connection to dementia risk.
The finding reinforced the conclusion that caffeine itself may play a key biological role.