Research on coffee and dementia has mixed conclusions about whether coffee increases or decreases the risk of dementia. In some populations, coffee drinking seems to lower dementia risk, but there’s still more research needed to understand its impacts on specific types of dementia and the caffeine types that have the most benefit.
According to the National Coffee Association, 70% of baby boomers drink coffee every day, which is higher than any other generation. Given that this generation is in their senior years (between 60–80 years old), there has been a large focus in healthcare on lifestyle factors related to healthy aging, brain health, and conditions prevalent in the aging population, such as dementia. As a result, there have been many studies about the link between coffee and dementia, many of which have conflicting results.
However, there are clear scientific indicators about the ways coffee and caffeine intake impact cognitive functioning. In this article, we’ll review recent research about the relationship between drinking coffee and dementia to help patients make informed decisions about their caffeine consumption.
Article Highlights
Studies have mixed conclusions about whether coffee increases or decreases the risk of dementia, but in some populations, coffee drinking seems to lower dementia risk.
One systematic review on caffeine determined that caffeine positively impacts most areas of cognition, particularly when compensating for sleep loss. These areas include response time, accuracy, attention, executive function, information processing, and memory.
However, coffee and tea consumption can impact patients experiencing cognitive decline in several ways, both positive and negative.
As a stimulant of the central nervous system, coffee impacts focus for many people. Because struggles with concentration are often an early symptom of vascular dementia, coffee and tea consumption may offer temporary support in focusing on daily tasks.
While caffeine isn’t a replacement for a good night’s sleep, it is a highly effective tool for managing the cognitive effects of sleep loss. According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep disruption impacts 25–50% of people with dementia. However, higher caffeine intake, especially at night, might make it even harder to fall asleep.
When treating dementia, clinicians may wish to monitor how many cups of coffee or tea a patient is having daily and determine how that might be impacting their symptoms. Implementing measurement-based care makes it easier to gather data and track patterns in dementia cases.
Anxiety is strongly tied to cognition, and can negatively affect a patient’s memory, concentration, and overall mood.
While coffee is associated with improved mood, some people also report that it increases their anxiety, particularly if they’re not regular coffee drinkers. However, a study that measured the connection between coffee consumption and anxiety and depression found that people who had the lowest risk for both depression and anxiety drank about 2–3 cups of coffee per day.
Coffee may have protective effects against the development of depression. One systematic review on coffee and depression found that there was a 4% reduction in the risk of depression associated with an increase in coffee intake. Another found reduced risk of depression by 8% for each additional cup consumed daily.
A morning cup of coffee is reported to improve memory performance in young adults, particularly when counteracting the slump in cognitive performance at non-optimal times of the day. A related study evaluated caffeine intake for older adults at their non-optimal time of day and found that coffee completely reversed memory decline experienced in the afternoon.
With over 10 million new cases of dementia emerging each year, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International, it makes sense that there are so many new studies about dementia prevention and treatment. When discussing the relationship between coffee and Alzheimer’s disease with patients, using an evidence-based practice approach makes sure that they get the most accurate and up-to-date information.
However, many current and previous studies have mixed conclusions about whether coffee increases or decreases the risk of dementia. Here, we have summarized the possible conclusions of several of the leading studies on coffee and dementia for clinician and patient consideration.
In 2010, a paper from the CAIDE study (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia) concluded that coffee drinking may be associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
While this evidence was somewhat inconsistent between studies, three out of five found that coffee intake lowered the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms of cognitive decline. These positive results were also visible when coffee and tea were combined, but more inconclusive when it came to tea intake alone.
A 2024 prospective cohort study conducted research on how drinking coffee and tea affects the risk of dementia in people with and without hypertension.
In people with hypertension, drinking 0.5–1 cups of coffee and 4–4 cups of tea daily was linked to the lowest risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease compared to people who drink a lot of coffee (6+ cups) but no tea.
In this study, individuals with hypertension were at the greatest risk for dementia, so they were most likely to benefit from caffeine. In people without hypertension, there was no significant link between coffee and tea consumption and the risk of dementia.
One 2020 systematic review on caffeine and dementia examined the results of 61 studies conducted between 1990 and 2020.
28% of studies looking at the link between caffeine and dementia found positive outcomes across the board, and 53% showed positive results depending on factors like caffeine source, amount, and participant demographics. Studies with female participants, moderate consumption of 100–400 milligrams, and a source of either coffee or green tea tended to find positive results.
In the studies that focused specifically on people with cognitive impairment, 73% found that caffeine intake improved cognitive function, suggesting that coffee could help with symptoms of dementia progression.
A Norwegian study called HUNT gathered data on participants over nearly 22 years, exploring the link between coffee and tea consumption and the risk of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease.
In order to explore mixed results from other studies, this study examined outcomes associated with consumption of boiled coffee versus filtered coffee. Boiled coffee, such as that prepared in a French press, contains higher levels of lipids, which could increase cardiovascular disease issues that are a risk factor for dementia. Filtered coffee, like that prepared in a drip coffee maker, removes these lipids.
Overall, the key findings of this study are as follows:
The results of a single study are not enough to recommend changes in coffee preparation methods for patients. However, physicians may wish to keep an eye on this intriguing new finding as one more variable that can help predict the effects of coffee in a particular patient.
A 2021 cohort study in PLOS Medicine found that drinking coffee and tea either separately or in combination was associated with a lower risk of dementia and stroke. The study included over 350,000 participants aged 50–70 from the UK Biobank and was held between 2006 and 2010, with a follow-up in 2020.
The study’s overall findings concluded that:
The Creyos suite of cognitive tasks, behavioral questionnaires, and pre-made protocols make it easy to screen for different cognitive and mental health disorders like dementia, ADHD, mild cognitive impairment, anxiety, and more.
Our assessments can be completed in under ten minutes, either remotely or in person, and produce reports that are easy to understand for patients and clinicians alike. These reports track longitudinal performance trends, allowing clinicians to determine symptom progression over time, as well as note the possible impact caffeine has had on the day’s results compared to a baseline.
As the research shows, caffeine has a short-term positive effect on cognitive function, so it may temporarily improve cognition for people experiencing impairment. In some populations, coffee drinking seems to lower dementia risk, but there’s still more research needed to understand its impacts on specific types of dementia and the caffeine types that have the most benefit.
Given the complex effects of caffeine, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to whether coffee drinking is good for patients with dementia. New research on the effect coffee has on dementia emerges every year. For now, gathering data on a patient’s caffeine intake along with cognitive assessments is the best way to track any patterns. Ultimately, the choice of whether or not to drink coffee can be determined based on how it makes patients feel day-to-day.
Reviewed by Sydni Paleczny, Staff Scientist at Creyos
Sydni earned her MSc in Neurosciences at Western University under Dr. Adrian Owen. Her research explores neuropsychological outcomes after cardiac surgery, with interests in cognitive neuroscience, critical care, and brain health. At Creyos, she supports scientific validity, health technology, and ongoing research.