Research Finds This Amount Of Coffee Can Negatively Affect The Brain

Researchers from the University of South Australia wanted to know how coffee affects the brain (specifically, brain volume, and the risk of dementia and stroke). They studied the effects of coffee on nearly 18,000 people between the ages of 37 and 73, making this the largest study of its kind.

Based on their findings, it seems coffee in excess doesn’t reap the same brain benefits as coffee in moderation. Those who drank more than six cups of coffee per day had a 53% increased risk of dementia, as well as smaller brain volume.

As study co-author and Ph.D. candidate Kitty Pham explains in a news release, “We consistently found that higher coffee consumption was significantly associated with reduced brain volume—essentially, drinking more than six cups of coffee a day may be putting you at risk of brain diseases such as dementia and stroke.”

As professor and study co-author Elina Hyppönen Ph.D., MPH, MSc notes in the release, the exact mechanisms behind why excess coffee consumption can have negative effects aren’t fully understood. However, she says, “one simple thing we can do is to keep hydrated and remember to drink a bit of water alongside that cup of coffee.”