Current research suggests that drinking 3-5 cups of coffee a day can slow down the effects of Alzheimer’s in older adults. Based on studies conducted by Gary Arendash, a researcher at the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, 500 grams of caffeine a day appears to have more effect on preventing Alzheimer’s than current pharmaceuticals that are being used to fight the disease.

With review of 124 older adults with mild cognitive impairments (MCI) and their consumption of coffee over a 2-4 year time span, results state that higher levels of blood caffeine levels among participants who suffered effects of the disease remained more stable overall in their symptoms. MCI adults that resulted in progression in their dementia showed 51% lower levels than the more stable participants. More details on their findings can be found in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The ability that coffee has to enhance people’s cognitive abilities is great proof that this high caffeinated beverage may be an inexpensive way to protect against the further effects of dementia and an assistant in protection against Alzheimer’s. Previous studies have shown coffee to be beneficial in protecting against other diseases such as Parkinson’s, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer as well. So next time you have your morning “joe”, realize that you are doing more than just jump starting your mind to tackle to tasks the coming day has to offer, but you are also taking a step forward in protecting the future of your mind.