Table of contents:
- Effects of coffee on cognitive function
- The effect of caffeine on cognitive function appears to increase with age
- Conclusion
Caffeine is one of the ingredients in coffee. Coffee is a favorite drink of many people which has become a habit. From waking up in the morning to wanting to go to bed, many people are looking for coffee to accompany their activities. Coffee is believed to make people "literate", so that he can finish chores late into the night.
This drink saves benefits as well as bad effects on health. Not only that, coffee also has an impact on cognitive function.
Effects of coffee on cognitive function
Human cognitive function decreases with age. Starting at the age of 60 years, human cognitive function has begun to decline. Research even shows that cognitive function begins to decline since the age of 45 years. However, the rate and timing of onset of cognitive decline varies widely between individuals.
The decline in cognitive function is strongly influenced by lifestyle, disease (especially diseases related to blood vessels), genetic or hereditary factors, oxidative stress, and inflammation. So, this decline in cognitive function can be prevented or slowed down. One of the things that might slow down this decline in cognitive function is caffeine. The effect of caffeine on cognitive function can be linked to the impact of caffeine on alertness, especially in situations of less alertness. Many studies have linked caffeine's effects on cognitive function related to alertness.
A study by the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research shows that consuming at least 3 cups of coffee per day or about 300 mg of caffeine per day is associated with slower decline in cognitive abilities in women. This research also shows that caffeine can help keep mental abilities and memory sharper over a longer period of time in older people.
Many studies have shown that caffeine can prevent cognitive decline in healthy people, but the results of these studies are still mixed. Some research suggests that this benefit only works in women, or some suggests that it may work in older people, and others show that age does not affect this effect.
The effect of caffeine on cognitive function appears to increase with age
Two studies in the elderly and adults have shown that caffeine improves attention span, psychomotor performance, and cognitive function. Older people appear to be more sensitive to caffeine's protective effect on mental performance decline over time than younger people.
In younger people (18-37 years), caffeine has been shown to improve performance when there is a disruption in the task, rather than during an easy task. In contrast to older people (60-75 years), caffeine can improve performance during more difficult tasks that require sustained attention. In fact, it is usually more difficult for older people to be able to improve their performance during difficult tasks, than younger people.
The effect of coffee on cognitive function that is more effective in older people may be due to the fact that older people have a longer habit of consuming coffee than younger people. A study in England on 9003 adults showed an association between increased cognitive performance and higher coffee consumption. Older people appear to be more susceptible to the performance-enhancing effects of coffee than younger people.
Other studies have linked coffee consumption habits to these cognitive effects. Research published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease linked coffee consumption habits to incidence mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild cognitive impairment. The study, which involved 1445 people aged 65-84 years, showed that participants who had a habit of consuming 1 or 2 cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of experiencing MCI than those who never or rarely consumed coffee.
This study concluded that the effect of coffee on the risk of mild cognitive impairment is influenced by how coffee consumption habits change over time. MCI is a decrease in cognitive abilities (including the ability to remember and think). This is one of the factors that can trigger Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
Conclusion
From the above explanation, it can be concluded that coffee has a protective effect against decreased cognitive function, especially in older people. However, it should be noted how much your coffee consumption habits are every day. Remember, even though coffee has a beneficial impact on you in terms of cognitive and work performance, excessive coffee consumption can also increase your risk of various diseases, such as insomnia, muscle tremors, stomach disorders, faster heart rate, and so on. The good thing, limit your coffee consumption every day to no more than 3 cups of coffee per day.