Does drinking tea or coffee help prevent dementia?
Tea, coffee, and caffeine intake and risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Highest caffeine intake was associated with a 34% higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.04–1.74), despite no clear benefit for dementia overall.
Most people assume caffeine protects the brain — this flips that idea, suggesting high caffeine might even be risky for Alzheimer’s, even if the evidence is very low certainty.
Practical Takeaways
If you enjoy tea, consider having 1–3 cups daily — it’s linked to the smallest but most consistent brain benefit in this study.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Highest caffeine intake was associated with a 34% higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.04–1.74), despite no clear benefit for dementia overall.
Most people assume caffeine protects the brain — this flips that idea, suggesting high caffeine might even be risky for Alzheimer’s, even if the evidence is very low certainty.
Practical Takeaways
If you enjoy tea, consider having 1–3 cups daily — it’s linked to the smallest but most consistent brain benefit in this study.
Publication
Journal
Food & function
Year
2024
Authors
Fengjuan Li, Xiaoning Liu, Bin Jiang, Xinying Li, Yanqi Wang, Xiaojuan Chen, Yuhao Su, Xiaojie Wang, Jun Luo, Lifang Chen, Jiangtao Li, Qian Lv, Jian Xiao, Jun Wu, Jianping Ma, Pei Qin
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Claims (6)
People who drink a moderate amount of coffee or tea may be less likely to develop dementia later in life — about 18% less likely, according to this claim.
People who drink more tea tend to have a slightly lower chance of getting dementia — every extra cup a day might lower the risk by about 4%.
People who drink 1 to 3 cups of coffee a day might have the lowest chance of getting dementia, according to studies of hundreds of thousands of adults — but drinking more or less than that doesn’t seem to help as much.
People who drink a lot of tea may have a slightly lower chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who drink little or no tea, according to studies tracking large groups of people over time.
Drinking caffeine doesn’t seem to make you more or less likely to get dementia — people who drink the most caffeine had a tiny bit lower risk, but it’s not enough to be sure it’s real.