In a recent study published within the journal Nutrients, researchers examine the potential relationship between tea and low consumption during midlife and the danger of developing dementia in later life.

Study: The Association between Coffee and Tea Consumption at Midlife and Risk of Dementia Later in Life: The HUNT Study. Image Credit: ImYanis / Shutterstock.com

The health advantages of caffeine

Tea and low are widely consumed beverages globally and are wealthy in bioactive plant compounds. Regular caffeine consumption has been found to diminish amyloid-β levels and neuroinflammation, in addition to improve cognitive function in animal models.

Observational studies investigating the link between tea and low consumption and the danger of dementia have produced inconsistent results. Whereas some studies have shown that increased tea and low intake, together or individually, could also be correlated to lower dementia risk, other studies haven’t reported this association.

Concerning the study

In the current study, researchers investigate the potential correlation between the intake of tea and low during midlife and the next long-term risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and all-cause dementia.

The HUNT Study was conducted in 4 surveys since 1984. The HUNT4 study included a selected investigation on aging, generally known as HUNT4 70+.

People aged 70 years or above, whether living in the neighborhood or long-term care facilities, were recruited for the study. Participants from HUNT2 were recruited between 1995 and 1997 and later participated within the HUNT4 70+ study between 2017 and 2019.

A self-reported questionnaire was used to guage the consumption of tea and low during HUNT2. Participants were instructed to record their every day intake of boiled coffee, tea, and different coffee types.

The first study consequence was cognitive status at HUNT4, which was evaluated 22 years after exposure evaluation. The diagnosis of MCI and dementia was made using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria. 

Dementia subtypes are identified in response to clinical symptoms and classified into categories equivalent to vascular dementia, AD, Lewy body dementia, mixed dementia, frontotemporal dementia, or other specified or unspecified dementia. Here, the researchers primarily focused on determining the overall risk of developing dementia. Secondary outcomes involved the danger of AD and MCI.

Several models were used to investigate the info, the primary of which included sex and age, while the second model included additional aspects equivalent to marital status, educational attainment, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and tea/coffee consumption.

The third model further adjusted for body mass index (BMI), history of heart problems, and diabetes. Finally, in model 4, the analyses were adjusted to evaluate the link between various coffee types and the danger of dementia and account for alternative forms of coffee.

Study findings

The HUNT2 and HUNT4 70+ studies involved 8,758 participants, with a median follow-up time of roughly 22 years. A complete of seven,381 individuals were available for the essential analyses after exclusions.

Each day intake of eight or more cups of coffee was related to a better risk of developing dementia in comparison with those that consumed zero to 1 cup of coffee every day. Nonetheless, after accounting for confounding aspects, the link between coffee and dementia weakened.

No significant links were discovered between general coffee intake and the danger of dementia. Moreover, there was no relationship between tea intake and dementia risk.

Each day intake of not less than six cups of boiled coffee correlated with an increased risk of dementia risk compared to those that consumed zero to 1 cup of boiled coffee daily. Nonetheless, the association between boiled coffee intake and dementia was not present after adjusting for other coffee types.

No associations were observed between other levels of boiled coffee consumption and dementia. Adjustment models two and 4 revealed that drinking 4 to 5 cups of coffee daily, apart from the overall coffee type, was linked to a lower risk of dementia as compared to consuming zero to 1 cup every day.

Each day consumption of 4 to seven cups of boiled coffee was related to a better risk of MCI as in comparison with those that consumed zero to 1 cup of boiled coffee. No correlation was observed between the danger of MCI and regular intake of other forms of coffee.

Consuming greater than six cups of boiled coffee every day was related to an increased risk of AD, while the consumption of other forms of coffee was not related to AD risk. Moreover, the danger of MCI or AD was not linked to every day tea consumption.

Consuming six to seven cups of boiled coffee increased the danger of dementia in individuals who don’t carry the apolipoprotein E ε4 (ApoE4) gene, in comparison with those that devour zero to 1 cup of boiled coffee. Nonetheless, this correlation was not observed in ApoE4 carriers.

Conclusions

Drinking 4 to seven cups of boiled coffee daily increased the danger of MCI, whereas consuming six or more cups of boiled coffee every day was related to a greater risk of AD. No correlation was found between the danger of MCI or AD and the consumption of other forms of coffee.

Boiled coffee was related to increased dementia risk amongst women and people without the ApoE4 gene, while other forms of coffee were linked to lower dementia risk in men. No association was observed between tea consumption and the danger of developing dementia.

Further research is required to find out the potential correlation between coffee consumption, dementia risk, coffee type, gender, and ApoE4 carrier status.