Consuming coffee regularly would be beneficial for reducing cognitive decline, reducing the risk of developing dementia and reducing the level of Tau proteins responsible for Alzheimer’s disease, according to the results of a study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.
The cognitive alterations observed in Alzheimer’s disease are in particular the result of the accumulation of abnormal Tau proteins in degenerating nerve cells.
While caffeine consumption is known to reduce cognitive decline during aging and the risk of developing dementia, researchers did not know its effects on pathologies linked to the Tau protein, including Alzheimer’s disease.
A study conducted on mice
Dr. David Blum of the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) demonstrated that in mice, regular caffeine consumption prevents cognitive impairment, memory loss and certain changes in the Tau protein.
To obtain these conclusions, the researcher studied young transgenic mice (they gradually develop neurodegeneration linked to the Tau protein with age) who received oral caffeine for 10 months. “The mice treated with caffeine developed a less significant pathology from the point of view of memory, modifications of the Tau protein but also neuro-inflammation” explains David Blum, research fellow at Inserm.
This study provides experimental evidence that a link between caffeine consumption and pathologies linked to the Tau protein exist. It also indicates that caffeine would act on various cerebral dysfunctions involved in Alzheimer’s disease to exert beneficial effects.
“These studies point to an important contribution of environmental factors in the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” emphasizes the researcher. “In view of these results, we now wish to identify the molecular target responsible for the beneficial effects of caffeine and to set up a clinical trial using caffeine in patients with AD. Alzheimer’s,” he concludes.
With more than 800,000 people affected in France, Alzheimer’s diseaseand related diseases represent the leading cause of age-related loss of intellectual functions.
