Caffeine May Guard Memory for Women

Caffeine may help protect a woman's memory as she gets older. That's the conclusion of a new study. The study included 7,000 people. Their memory was measured several times in four years. They also were asked about coffee and tea drinking. Some women drank at least three cups of coffee a day. They showed less decline in memory tests than women who drank one cup or less. Tea drinkers were protected if they took in caffeine equal to three cups of coffee. Caffeine didn't have the same effect on men. It also didn't reduce dementia. This is a serious loss of memory and other thinking abilities. The study was published August 7 in the journal Neurology.

What Is the Doctor's Reaction?

New research suggests that caffeine intake may be good for women's memories. I have to admit, this sounds too good to be true. But the study's results are hard to ignore.

Researchers at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research did the study. They surveyed 7,000 people about how much caffeine they took in. This came primarily from daily coffee and tea. Then researchers compared caffeine intake with results of memory tests over four years.

Here's what they found:

• Women who drank more than three cups of coffee per day had less memory loss over time than women who drank one cup or less each day. The same was true for women who got just as much caffeine from tea.

• This effect was even stronger for 80-year-old coffee drinkers than for those 65 years old.

• The link between more caffeine and better memory held up even after accounting for other things that affect memory. These include age, medicines taken and blood vessel disease.

• Men didn't gain any memory protection from caffeine.

• Despite the slower memory loss, people who drank lots of coffee did not have a reduced risk of dementia.

In my view, this study is important for several reasons:

• It could lead to new insights about why memory declines with age and what we can do to preserve it.

• It could help us understand more about gender differences in brain function.

• It could lead to safe and effective treatments for memory loss.

It's important to point out that this study does not prove coffee actually caused people to have better memories. There could be other reasons for the results. The reasons might not be related to caffeine.

Researchers tried to account for all other potential causes. But it's possible they overlooked one. It's also possible that there is some still unknown cause of memory loss. This could have been different between study subjects who took in a lot of caffeine and those who did not.

What Changes Can I Make Now?

It's too soon to suggest that people start drinking coffee or tea to improve their memory. However, if you're a woman who already drinks coffee or tea, this latest research suggests that you may be doing your brain some good!

You can take other steps that may help to slow memory loss over time:

• Get regular medical care. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can be treated. These conditions increase the risk of blood vessel disease and stroke. Blood vessel disease and stroke can contribute to mental decline.

• Don't smoke. If you already smoke and have been unable to quit on your own, ask your doctor about a program to help you.

• Limit your alcohol intake. Excessive drinking can harm brain function.

• Improve your diet. A good diet may help maintain thinking ability and memory. Be sure to get lots of fiber, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and B vitamins (including folic acid, B6 and B12).

• Keep your mind active. Many experts recommend "brain exercises." Examples include board games and crossword puzzles. So far, though, the benefit of this is not proven.

• Keep your body active. Blood vessel disease and stroke can affect your brain. You may have less risk of these conditions if you stay physically fit and maintain a healthy body weight.

• Keep your social life active. Some research studies have found that people with social connections keep up their brain function better over time.

Memory loss is a common complaint of people as they age. But it doesn't have to happen. If you've noticed poor memory or other problems with your thinking, tell your doctor. Especially tell your doctor if these problems affect how you function or your quality of life. The cause could be something that's easy to fix. For example, it could be a side effect of medicine or a thyroid problem.

What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?

The finding that caffeine may slow age-related memory loss among women is intriguing. If other research confirms it, you can expect to hear much more about caffeine and memory. We will want to know how much caffeine is best, why it works for women but not men, and whether caffeine helps most at a certain age. Finally, it's likely that people will study how caffeine helps to improve memory. This possibly could lead to new treatments to preserve brain function.