If you’ve ever wondered whether coffee is good or bad for you, then you’ll be happy to learn it might actually be good for you. According to a new study, drinking moderate amounts of coffee or tea could lessen the risk of developing dementia or suffering from a stroke. The study was published Tuesday in PLOS Medicine, and it contains research gathered over an 11-year period.
During that time, researchers found that adults in the UK who regularly drank coffee and/or tea were less likely to suffer from a stroke or develop dementia. The findings can’t confirm a cause-and-effect link, but it is interesting to see the indication that these beverages may offer some health benefits that we didn’t already know about.
Is coffee good for you? New studies say yes
Tea has often been considered a healthy beverage for people to enjoy. Coffee, on the other hand, has had its share of bad remarks. Aside from the possible stains it can leave on your teeth, drinking too much can be lethal to certain individuals. Recent studies have started to turn this opinion around, though.
Researchers say that drinking moderate amounts of coffee daily can reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease and Type II diabetes. Some studies also say that it can reduce the chance of developing prostate cancer and endometrial cancer. Additionally, coffee contains a lot of antioxidants, which can protect your body and help you live longer.
How researchers conducted this new study
Researchers in China have based the study on information from the UK Biobank. The project has been tracking the health of its volunteers since the mid-2000s. For this study, the researchers focused on a group of 365,682 people within the 50-74 age range. They also only focused on people who did not have a pre-existing stroke or dementia. Additionally, all the individuals studied had been followed for a median of 11.4 years.
The study says that there were 5,079 cases of dementia and 10,053 cases of stroke diagnosed in that timeframe. Those numbers are also only based on hospital records. It also found that those who consumed two or three cups of coffee a day, three to five cups of tea, or a combination of four to six cups of tea or coffee were the least likely to develop stroke or dementia. The study found that individuals had a 32 percent lower risk of stroke and a 28 percent lower risk of dementia.
The authors of the study say this is the first to account for users who drink both beverages. Past studies on coffee and tea consumption have shown similar results. It’s also important to note that the study only covers a small part of the individual’s diet. Because of that, it cannot determine whether those people consumed coffee or tea the entire time, or if others never drank it.
