High daily coffee consumption is associated with an increased risk of dementia and smaller total brain volume, according to a study results published online ahead of print in Nutritional Neuroscience.

“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,” said study lead author Kitty Pham, a PhD candidate at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.

The study looked at habitual coffee consumption for 398,646 UK Biobank participants between the ages of 37 and 73. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) information was available for 17,702 participants. Researchers examined associations between coffee consumption and brain volume as well as odds of dementia and stroke.

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After adjustment for other factors, drinking more than 6 cups of coffee a day was linked with 53% higher odds of dementia, the study found, compared with drinking 1 or 2 cups a day. Odds ratios for stroke with the higher coffee volume were 1.17.

The study also identified inverse linear associations between habitual coffee consumption and total brain volume, gray matter volume, white matter volume, and hippocampal volume.

“Together with other genetic evidence and a randomised controlled trial, these data strongly suggest that high coffee consumption can adversely affect brain health,” said study senior investigator Elina Hyppönen, PhD, director of the Australian Center for Precision Health at the University of South Australia. “While the exact mechanisms are not known, one simple thing we can do is to keep hydrated and remember to drink a bit of water alongside that cup of coffee.”

—Jolynn Tumolo

References

Pham K, Mulugeta A, Zhou A, O'Brien JT, Llewellyn DJ, Hyppönen E. High coffee consumption, brain volume and risk of dementia and stroke. Nutr Neurosci. Published online June 24, 2021. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2021.1945858

Excess coffee: a bitter brew for brain health. News release. University of South Australia. July 22, 2021. Accessed July 23, 2021.