I really should stay away from studies about coffee consumption because I love coffee so much. But I do read studies so that I can find out if I’m severely damaging my health. The latest one I read wasn’t so bad. According to a study done at the University of South Australia, people who drink six or more cups of coffee per day have a 53% increased risk of developing dementia and a higher risk of stroke. OK, I can live with that. I don’t have to drink six or more cups per day. But I do have to have coffee when I wake up. If a study concludes that I cannot have coffee at all, I will ignore it.
This particular study was quite large: “This is the most extensive investigation into the connections between coffee, brain volume measurements, the risks of dementia, and the risks of stroke – it’s also the largest study to consider volumetric brain imaging data and a wide range of confounding factors. Accounting for all possible permutations, we consistently found that higher coffee consumption was significantly associated with reduced brain volume – essentially, drinking more than six cups of coffee a day may be putting you at risk of brain diseases such as dementia and stroke.”
I didn’t know that according to the study, in Australia dementia is the second leading cause of death. Senior investigator and Director of UniSA’s Australian Centre for Precision Health, Professor Elina Hyppönen, says while the news may be a bitter brew for coffee lovers, it’s all about finding a balance between what you drink and what’s good for your health.
The study was published in Nutritional Neuroscience.
I feel like there’s a new study every day. As long as it’s not super bad I will continue to drink coffee.