How Much Coffee Does It Take to Keep Your Brain Young?

How much coffee is too much? In this episode of Daily Value, we look at the link between coffee consumption and cognitive health. Drawing on a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (PMID: 39673298), we examine how bioactive compounds in coffee, such as chlorogenic acids and trigonelline, may protect against cognitive decline and inflammation.

Discussion Points:

• Insights from the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort, showing enhanced processing speed and visuomotor coordination and attention in individuals drinking a certain threshold of coffee daily compared to non-coffee drinkers
• a predicted cognitive age nearly 7 years younger in high coffee consumers.
• Practical considerations for incorporating coffee into a healthy diet, including dosage, tolerance, and quality.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39673298/

Transcript

Speaker 0: 0:00

Does five cups of coffee every day sound like too much coffee? Well, one very recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that that much coffee may confer cognitive longevity benefits. Hello everyone, and welcome back to Daily Value. I'm William Wallace and today we're looking at the link between coffee consumption and cognitive health, but also the link to a condition called atrial fibrillation, or AFib. This episode will look into the mechanisms behind coffee's potential to preserve brain health, again touching on recent findings from a December 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Stick around to uncover how your morning cup or two of coffee could influence brain function at the cellular and systemic levels.

Speaker 0: 0:51

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in adults, affecting about 5% of people over the age of 65, with prevalence increasing with age. While many associate AFib with heart health, it also is a significant risk factor for cognitive decline, dementia and even Alzheimer's disease, due to things like 1. Reduced cerebral blood flow irregular heartbeats can impair the brain's oxygen and nutrient supply. 2. Chronic inflammation AFib is linked to elevated inflammatory markers, including interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein, which contribute to vascular and neural damage, and three thromboembolic risk. Afib increases the likelihood of microstrokes, which accumulate over time and exacerbate cognitive impairment. This dual burden of systemic inflammation and compromised blood flow sets the stage for accelerated brain aging in AFib patients.

Speaker 0: 1:54

Now coffee consumption is also a topic of debate in this population. The guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation noted that abstaining from caffeine to prevent heart rhythm disturbances is of no benefit to people with AFib. However, the guidelines also note that abstaining from coffee could reduce symptoms in patients who report that caffeine triggers or worsens their AFib symptoms, which can include a rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fatigue and more. Furthermore, according to the US dietary guidelines, three to five eight-ounce cups of coffee per day can be part of a healthy diet, but that only refers to plain black coffee. So I'll state aloud and note that, importantly, popular coffee-based drinks such as lattes or macchiatos that are high in sugar and fat and overall calories are not what we are talking about here Now.

Speaker 0: 2:52

A growing body of evidence highlights coffee I'll reiterate coffee, not necessarily caffeine itself in this instance as a potential neuroprotective agent. For instance, the Swiss atrial fibrillation cohort study analyzed over 2,400 participants with AFib age 73 on average to evaluate coffee's impact on cognitive function. Participants were grouped by how many cups of coffee they consumed daily less than one cup, just one cup, two to three cups, four to five cups or greater than five cups. This study followed participants for eight years. The findings were very interesting. One there were improved cognitive test scores. Participants drinking more than five cups of coffee daily scored 11% higher on tests of processing speed, attention and visuomotor coordination, compared to those consuming less than one cup daily. The results of this test allowed the cognitive age of high coffee consumers to be estimated to be nearly seven years younger than their counterparts who drank no coffee at all. There were anti-inflammatory effects tied to coffee drinking. Coffee drinkers exhibited lower levels of inflammatory markers. Interleukin-6, a key driver of systemic inflammation, was reduced by 27% in those consuming over five cups per day, compared to those consuming no coffee.

Speaker 0: 4:16

Now I know what you're thinking. Five cups of coffee that's outrageous, unheard of. Even I could never All the things Well in this case. I think many people don't consider that. Older individuals that's the study population here drinking that much coffee probably have a faster metabolism of caffeine from coffee along with years of tolerance buildup. They've likely been drinking that much coffee for a very long time. It's not the very same as someone far younger trying to limit caffeine and then jumping to that many cups of coffee daily. So I think that that's worth thinking about and considering.

Speaker 0: 4:53

So what are the proposed mechanisms that play? Well, it's not just about caffeine. Coffee is a cocktail of bioactive compounds. We know that caffeine inhibits adenosine receptors, which helps maintain wakefulness and enhances synaptic plasticity. This may counteract the sluggish neural activity often seen in afib-related cognitive decline or other forms of cognitive decline, or actually other causes of cognitive decline. Next, coffee contains chlorogenic acids, caffeic acid, quinic acid, ferulic acid, along with flavonoids and trigonoline, the latter most being a methylated form of niacin that has been shown to raise NAD plus levels in preclinical models. All of these compounds can assist in reducing oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals in one way or another. Oxidative stress is a key contributor to vascular damage and cognitive decline in AFib patients. By supporting faster processing speeds and better visuomotor coordination, coffee might help maintain cognitive reserve, that is, the brain's ability to compensate for age-related changes.

Speaker 0: 6:06

Now, while observational studies like this one we talked about can't establish causation, their findings align with controlled trials highlighting coffee's cognitive benefits. For instance, a meta-analysis published in Clinical Nutrition in 2017 found that regular coffee consumption was associated with a 26% reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Another study in Frontiers in Neuroscience suggested coffee's role in modulating gut-brain signaling, potentially influencing neuroinflammation. For AFib patients, these findings are particularly significant because they highlight a potential lifestyle intervention that doesn't exacerbate arrhythmia symptoms in most individuals individuals, as I mentioned at the beginning of this episode. The 2023 ACC AHA guidelines state that caffeine does not increase the risk of arrhythmia episodes in AFib patients unless they are highly sensitive to it.

Speaker 0: 7:03

While promising and exciting, the SWISS study has its limitations. It was observational in nature. It cannot confirm that coffee causes cognitive benefits, only that there's an association. It was self-reported data Coffee intake was self-reported which introduces what's called recall bias. Also, there was a lack of standardization the type, size and strength of coffee weren't controlled for which could affect the outcomes here. And then there was the study population itself, which was predominantly white and European, which does limit generalizability.

Speaker 0: 7:38

If you're considering incorporating more coffee into your routine, here's what to keep in mind. Well, dosage matters, obviously. The cognitive benefits proposed in this study were most pronounced in people drinking five cups daily. However, individual tolerance varies and exceeding this may lead to side effects like anxiety, heart palpitations or insomnia. Choose quality. Black coffee offers the benefits without added sugars or fats found in flavored lattes, for instance. Monitor your response.

Speaker 0: 8:12

Afib patients, specifically, should be mindful of how caffeine affects their symptoms. Start with smaller amounts and gradually increase if tolerated and, of course, if desired. Lastly, pair with other strategies that include exercise, diet and sleep. This one goes without saying. Please don't use this as an excuse to slam caffeine in the form of energy drinks or over-consume caffeine. We are talking about coffee here. In closing, coffee may hold more power than just perking you up in the morning. It could serve as a key player in maintaining cognitive health, even for individuals with atrial fibrillation. The SWIS study adds to a growing body of research suggesting that coffee's bioactive compounds can reduce inflammation, protect neurons and enhance cognitive performance. Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Daily Value. If you found this episode enlightening, please share it with someone who might benefit. Don't forget to subscribe, as these episodes come out every Monday, wednesday and Friday. Until next time, stay curious and stay healthy.