Drinking coffee in moderation has been shown to have numerous benefits for the brain and overall health, according to a recent study conducted in Hamburg, Germany. The study compared four groups of people who drank coffee regularly – less than 1 cup per day, 1-2 cups per day, 3-4 cups per day, and 5-6 cups of coffee per day.
The results showed that those who drank three to four cups of coffee a day had the strongest brain structure when several factors were considered, including preserved cortical thickness, which is generally associated with higher intelligence. The improvement was seen to increase from those who did not drink coffee to those who drank more.
However, the study design was not perfect, as the authors noted that the group was relatively small and homogeneous. They also noted that those who drank more coffee were healthier and more educated at baseline, so these potential confounding factors cannot be ruled out. More research is needed to determine whether decaffeinated coffee has similar effects.
Despite these limitations, the initial findings add to the growing body of evidence supporting the idea that coffee is good for the brain and overall health. Coffee has been shown to slow cognitive decline and potentially reduce the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. A 2017 meta-analysis of the health effects of coffee found that coffee reduces the incidence of cardiovascular and other diseases, as well as neurological, metabolic, and liver conditions. Although not all studies looked at exact number of cups