Need a Boost? Try Caffeine
It’s well accepted that a dose of caffeine generally improves wakefulness and boosts energy. Now researchers are identifying specific ways in which the stimulant improves brain function and memory, especially in older adults, and may even help protect the brain against disease.
Research published in the September 2014 issue of Neurobiology of Aging found that mice bred to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that were given daily moderate doses of caffeine in their drinking water developed significantly fewer fibrils of tau proteins, a hallmark of AD, in the hippocampus, a key memory region of the brain. The caffeine mice also demonstrated improved spatial memory and fewer brain markers of inflammation and oxidative stress normally associated with AD compared to animals that received no caffeine.
The results provide a possible explanation for findings on human caffeine consumption from the long-running Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) study in Finland. That study linked drinking three to five cups of coffee per day at midlife with a 65 percent decreased risk of AD or other dementia in late life.
“In view of the fact that caffeine is so widely consumed in our population, the suggestion that it might have protective effects on the brain is very interesting and definitely calls for further research,” says David Mischoulon, MD, PhD, Director of Research at MGH’s Depression Clinical and Research Program.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The following foods and beverages are among the primary sources of caffeine in the American diet:
- Coffee, tea, hot chocolate or cocoa; chocolate milk
- Many soft drinks, including most colas; energy drinks; chocolate liquor
- Foods containing chocolate, such as candies, desserts, cookies, yogurt and ice cream, and chocolate syrup.
“Researchers are also looking at caffeine’s ability to enhance overall cognition and memory in healthy individuals. Understanding more about the underlying mechanisms of caffeine’s effects on the brain may help us better protect brain health and perhaps devise new treatments for brain disorders.”
Brain benefits
In the past several years, research has linked the consumption of caffeine to improved attention, greater vigilance, better recall of spatial information, faster reaction time and speed of encoding new information, and improved functional connectivity among brain regions. A 2013 study involving 2,475 older women at heightened risk for cognitive decline because of vascular disorders found that the difference between levels of cognitive decline in those who consumed the most caffeine over a period of up to eight years and those who consumed the least was the equivalent of seven years’ age difference.
Caffeine has also been associated with enhanced short- and long-term memory. In a study published February 2014 in the journal Nature Neuroscience researchers reported that among a group of 100 individuals who consumed just 200 milligrams of caffeine—a little more than the amount contained in an average-size cup of coffee—memory retrieval performance improved for up to 24 hours. The findings suggest that caffeine enhances the brain’s memory programming, storage, and consolidation process so that information can be remembered for a longer period of time with more accuracy.
Caffeine effects
Caffeine promotes wakefulness by blocking brain receptors for adenosine, a neuromodulator produced by brain cells that promotes feelings of fatigue. At the same time, caffeine clears the field for an increase in levels of natural stimulants such as the fight-or-flight- hormone adrenaline, which boosts energy and focus, the stress hormone cortisol, which prepares the body and brain for action, and the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is involved with the brain’s reward pathways and is also important to memory, attention, and problem-solving.
Healthy consumption
Caffeine can be safe and even beneficial when used in moderation (up to 400 mg a day for adults, the equivalent of about three eight-ounce cups of coffee), and its effects wear off after four to six hours. But there can be negative effects, Dr. Mischoulon cautions.
“Regular consumption of caffeine, especially at higher doses, can lead to caffeine dependence,” he says. “Too much caffeine can lead to the jitters, headache, anxiety, and accelerated heartbeat, followed by a ‘crash’ with feelings of fatigue and depression. And, of course, too much caffeine or caffeine taken too late in the day (after about two o’clock in the afternoon) can interfere with sleep at night.
“In some individuals, regular intake of large amounts of caffeine can impede the absorption of calcium. Excessive caffeine consumption is also associated with fibrocystic disease (painful breast lumps). Pregnant women, individuals with hard-to-control high blood pressure or heart arrhythmias, and those with chronic headaches or gastrointestinal problems such as acid reflux or stomach ulcers may be especially vulnerable to negative effects and might want to limit or avoid caffeine altogether.”
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