Decades of Coffee Data Hint at an 18% Dementia Risk Reduction

A 43-year study of 131,821 healthcare professionals (Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study) found that regular caffeinated coffee intake (2–3 cups daily) or tea (1–2 cups daily) was associated with about an 18% lower risk of developing dementia versus those who rarely or never drank them. Decaf coffee did not confer the same benefit. The analysis included 11,033 dementia cases and showed similar patterns across genetic risk groups, but as an observational study it cannot establish causation, calling for further research into the mechanisms behind caffeine’s brain health effects.