Coffee lovers know a steaming cup of java can quickly deliver energy and mental clarity every morning, but new research suggests it may also guard against Alzheimer’s disease in the long run.

“Worldwide, a high proportion of adults drink coffee every day, making it one of the most popular beverages consumed,” said lead researcher Samantha Gardener.

For the study, Gardener and her team investigated whether coffee intake affected the rate of cognitive decline over 10 years in more than 200 people who were part of the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study.

The investigators found that people who had no memory impairments and who consumed higher amounts of coffee had a lower risk of transitioning to mild cognitive impairment. This stage often precedes Alzheimer’s disease. Those participants also had lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease during the study period.

In the study, higher coffee intake appeared to be slowing the accumulation of amyloid protein in the brain, as well as being linked to positive results in the areas of executive function and attention.

Drinking coffee could be an easy way to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, Gardener suggested, but more research is needed.

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