If you rely on a daily fix of caffeine to kickstart your brain each morning, you might be interested to know that decaffeinated coffee could help preserve your memory function.
A study at Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that decaffeinated coffee improves the brain’s energy metabolism associated with Type 2 diabetes.
This is the first evidence to suggest decaffeinated coffee could be used for both preventing and treating cognitive decline caused by type 2 diabetes, ageing and neurodegenerative disorders.
When the brain has low levels of energy, the risks of dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, increase.
The discovery offers hope for those suffering from Type 2 diabetes, as the glucose levels in their brain are usually drastically reduced, resulting in neurocognitive problems.
American researchers investigated whether dietary supplements of decaffeinated coffee improved insulin resistance and glucose utilisation in mice suffering from diet-induced Type 2 diabetes. The mice were given this supplement for five months and their brain’s genetic response was monitored.
Researchers discovered that the brain was able to more effectively metabolise glucose and use it to energise the brain.
“Impaired energy metabolism in the brain is known to be tightly correlated with the cognitive decline during ageing and in subjects at high risks for developing neurodegenerative disorders,” says Dr. Giulio Maria Pasinett from the study.
“This is the first evidence showing the potential benefits of decaffeinated coffee preparations for both preventing and treating cognitive decline caused by type 2 diabetes, ageing, and/ or neurodegenerative disorders.”
An earlier study by Huazhong University of Science & Technology found that regular coffee with caffeine could also reduce the risk of diabetes, as the compounds in the coffee bean block toxic accumulation of a protein linked to Type 2 diabetes.