No argument from me, which is sort of the point, right? Nearly everyone drinks coffee, but American puritan ancestry makes us leery of anything fun also being beneficial to our health. So, science to the rescue!
Coffee may cut the risk of dementia by blocking the damage cholesterol can inflict on the body, research suggests.
[From BBC NEWS | Health | Daily caffeine 'protects brain']
The drink has already been linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's Disease, and a study by a US team for the Journal of Neuroinflammation may explain why.
A vital barrier between the brain and the main blood supply of rabbits fed a fat-rich diet was protected in those given a caffeine supplement.
"Caffeine appears to block several of the disruptive effects of cholesterol that make the blood-brain barrier leaky," said Dr Jonathan Geiger, who led the study. "High levels of cholesterol are a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, perhaps by compromising the protective nature of the blood brain barrier.
"Caffeine is a safe and readily available drug and its ability to stabilise the blood brain barrier means it could have an important part to play in therapies against neurological disorders." A spokesman for the Alzheimer's Disease Society said that the study shed "important light" on why previous research had showed benefits for drinking coffee.
I am so glad to read about caffeine. I have been deprived of my favorite drink for the longest time. This is great news. NOwI have to make up excuses for my dementia ;P))