A research was carried out in Florida on mice suggested disturbs the production of the protein plaques in Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists in the US say that drinking at least five cups of coffee in a day could reverse memory problem in the disease.
This does not mean that the patients suffering from dementia should start using coffee supplements for memory problem say British experts.
Caffeine has previously proved to be a protective effect according to previous research.
The study was held at the University of Florida. 55 mice were involved in the research, which were bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. When the mice were aged 18 to 19 months, which is equivalent to humans being around 70, tests were done on them to check if they were displaying any of the symptoms of the disease.
Half the mice were given plain water and the other half had caffeine mixed with their water. They were given around 500 milligrams of caffeine in a day. After two months the mice were tested in memory and thinking skills and the lot that had caffeine performed much better on tests.
A 50 per cent reduction in the levels of the beta amyloid protein was also noticed in these mice. This protein forms destructive clumps in the brains of patients suffering from dementia.
“The results are particularly exciting in that a reversal of pre-existing memory impairment is more difficult to achieve. They provide evidence that caffeine could be a viable ‘treatment’ for established Alzheimer’s disease and not simply a protective strategy,” said Dr Gary Arendash, who led the latest study. He added, “That’s important because caffeine is a safe drug for most people, it easily enters the brain, and it appears to directly affect the disease process.”
For more information, please refer to the source of this article.