Coffee could improve memory
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Drinking decaffeinated coffee could improve our memory, a study suggests.
Researchers said the drink could improve the memory of people suffering from diseases of the brain or age-related forgetfulness, and may even prevent symptoms from appearing in the first place.
They tested their theory by giving a dietary supplement with the same properties of decaffeinated coffee to mice with type 2 diabetic mice.
The disease lowers glucose levels in the brain, causing impairment in memory and other brain functions, but after five months of treatment mice given the supplement, as opposed to a placebo, showed raised levels of glucose.
Dr Giulio Maria Pasinetti of the Mount Sinai School in New York, who led the research, said tests on humans could follow.
He said: "This is the first evidence showing the potential benefits of decaffeinated coffee preparations for both preventing and treating cognitive decline caused by type 2 diabetes, ageing, and/or neurodegenerative disorders."
Coffee is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, but Dr Pasinetti said these effects were most likely due to the caffeine content.
Studies which suggest that the early symptoms of diseases like Alzheimer's, such as memory loss, can be detected several decades before diagnosis highlight the need for protective treatments, he added.
