A morning cup of coffee could help fight Alzheimer's

A group of international experts has agreed that caffeine could prevent or reduce the effects of Alzheimer's, according to a recent study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. The exhaustive study covered caffeine's effects on individual molecules, the brain and behavior. It concluded from animal testing that moderate, consistent amounts of caffeine significantly slow the aging process and memory deterioration.

Not only was caffeine found to aid memory care, it also proved to be an agent in slowing or stopping the production of amyloid-beta proteins.

Guest journal editors Alexandre de Mendonça and Rodrigo A. Cunha describe these compounds as one of the main causes of Alzheimer's.

One of the most important effects of caffeine was found in patients already undergoing Alzheimer's care, according to Mendonça and Cunha.

"One of the most prevalent complications of Alzheimer's is depression of mood, and the recent observations that caffeine might be a mood normalizer are of particular interest," researchers said in the report.

The study also cites evidence that, in addition to helping cognition and memory performance, caffeine may protect against motor deficits and prevent Parkinson's disease.

According to the Alzheimer's Association of America, 5.2 million people currently suffer from the mental illness.

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