For those people who love coffee, as I do, and don't wish to give it up, there may be good news. According to a recent article on the BBC News site, caffeine may help prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Research on mice suffering from memory loss found that those mice that were given caffeine in their water performed better on memory tasks then those mice that did not. It is believed that the mechanism of action involves caffeine's ability to decrease inflammation in the brain and thus reduce the level of beta amyloid plaques. Beta amyloid plaques are proteins found in the brains of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Why people form beta amyloid plaques in the first place is a subject of intense research and theory, but there appears to be a higher risk of this occurring in people with blood sugar disregulation, headaches, and chronic inflammation.
Though there is speculation about the cause and possible treatments of Alzheimer's disease, there are some things we are fairly certain of. For starters, we recommend that people with blood sugar disorders, like hypoglycemia and diabetes, monitor their blood sugar regularly and make sure to eat balanced small meals throughout the day. Make sure your meals contain protein. Load up on foods high in anti-oxidants, like fresh fruits and vegetables.
For those who are sensitive to caffeine, other foods that have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body include fish oil, and the supplements turmeric, bromelain (an enzyme found in pineapples), and boswellia (commonly referred to as frankincense).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8132122.stm
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