Caffeine – The New Brain Food

I am speaking at the annual Brain Bowl sponsored by the City of Jacksonville and the Mayo Clinic next month. Although it sounds like a college football game between several smart people, it actually is an event focused on “Brain Fitness.” I will be sharing nutrition tips that can help you maintain a healthy brain. The exciting part is that much of the information I plan to share involves one of my favorite food groups – caffeine.

Caffeine is considered a psychoactive drug, a natural stimulant and a diuretic. It affects the nervous system and the digestive system. Caffeine is widely used on a daily basis and is added to foods, beverages, herbal supplements, and medications. It is even added to some candy bars now. The natural sources of caffeine are found in coffee beans, cacao beans, guarana (a fruit), kola nuts, tea leaves and mate leaves.

There is emerging research showing that midlife coffee drinking can decrease the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life. This conclusion is made in a study out of Finland published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. This study showed caffeine reversed memory loss in mice bred to develop Alzheimer’s disease. These mice were given an amount comparable to 500 milligrams of caffeine (equivalent to four cups of coffee or two coffee shop cappuccinos) in their daily drinking water. After two months, the mice that drank the caffeinated water performed much better on tests of their memory skills.

This is good news for my morning caffeine habit, but these studies have not yet been tested on humans.  Human trials will be started to see whether caffeine can benefit people with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. This does not necessarily mean that you should intentionally increase your caffeine habit, yet. For most people, the amount of caffeine in two to four cups of coffee a day is not harmful. However, too much caffeine can make you restless, anxious and irritable. For some of you, a lack of caffeine can also trigger similar side effects – especially the irritability.

By the way, here is a rundown on the caffeine content of some popular beverages:

8-fl-oz drip coffee: 137 mg
12-fl-oz Mountain Dew®: 54 mg
6-fl-oz tea brewed for 3 minutes: 36 mg
12-fl-oz regular cola: 35-50 mg
1-fl-oz espresso: 40 mg
1-oz solid chocolate: 8-20 mg
6-fl-oz hot chocolate: 4 mg
6-fl-oz decaffeinated coffee: 2 mg