Over 500 billion cups of coffee are drunk each year, according to the May 2003 issue of “Frontline.” The National Coffee Association notes that in 2000 over 50 percent of American adults over 18 drank an average of 3 cups of coffee daily. Coffee is consumed mainly for the caffeine it contains, which acts upon the body and brain as a stimulant. There's plenty of research on the effects of coffee drinkers' morning pick-me-up, and much of it is good news.
Improves Memory
Drinking coffee helps improve your short-term memory, according to Gaia Vince in an article published in the December 2005 issue of “New Scientist.” Coffee acts on the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for goal-directed behavior, planning, evaluating and structuring. Memory tests were administered to volunteers using sequences of letters flashed quickly on a screen. Specific letters were flashed after the initial sequence, for subjects to determine if they were used in the original sequence. Those given coffee with caffeine had significantly greater activation of the prefrontal lobe and better short-term memory recall.
Improves Cognitive Function
Your morning cup of coffee may help keep your brain functioning normally and protect its cognitive functioning, according to a study published in the October 2011 issue of “Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior.” Five groups of rats were fed varied diets: a control diet, a 3 percent coffee diet, 6 percent coffee diet, 0.04 percent caffeine diet and a 0.08 percent caffeine diet. After 90 days, the rats were evaluated through behavioral tasks associated with memory and cognitive function. The study found that the rats given coffee had increased concentration, improved long-term memory and object recognition and an increase in locomotor and exploratory activities.
Increased Alertness
Coffee is a convenient pick-me-up and helps increase mental alertness. An afternoon cup of coffee can give you a boost, helping you stay alert and productive in the afternoon. The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant that gives you a sense of increased energy and alertness, according to a study published in the September 2008 issue of “Nutrition Research.” The study tested women between the ages of 18 and 28 years-old after drinking a 12-oz. cup of coffee. They found that coffee increases mental alertness and heart rate.
May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
Drinking five cups of coffee daily may help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease, according to a study published in the 2010 “Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.” Mice with AD that had received caffeine in their drinking water their whole lives showed beneficial effects that mitigated the ravages of AD. The caffeine reversed cognitive impairment and decreased brain amyloid-beta levels associated with AD in the aged mice. The catch is that it takes more than one cup of coffee to get a protective effect on the brain. Around 500 mg of caffeine is needed to impact the brain’s cognitive ability, or roughly five cups of coffee.
References
- "New Scientist"; Coffee's Effects Revealed in Brain Scans; Gaia Vince; December 2005
- Yale University; Brain Buzz: Effects of Caffeine, Nicotine, Alcohol and Drugs on Learning; L. Giordano; September 2005
- Coffee Research; Coffee Consumption Statistics in the United States; 1999
- PBS; Frontline; The History of Coffee; May 2003
- "Journal of Alzheimer's Research"; Caffeine and Coffee as Therapeutics Against Alzheimer's Disease; F.W. Arendash; 2010
- University of Memphis; Brain-Behavior Relationships; Prefrontal Cortex; C.J. Long
- "Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior"; Chronic Coffee and Caffeine Ingestion Effects on the Cognitive Function and Antioxidant System of Rat Brains; R.V. Abreu; October 2011
- "Nutrition Research"; The Cumulative Effect of Coffee and Mental Stress Task on Heart Rate, Blood Pressure and Mental Altertness; M.D. Kennedy; September 2008
- "NPR"; Nervous About Alzheimer's? Coffee May Help; A. Aubrey; June 2010
Member Comments