Coffee, tea found to ward off dementia

While drinking coffee or tea alone has benefits, the most effect comes with drinking both beverages, with four to six cups a day the sweet spot for reducing risk of disease.

Four to six cups a day of both coffee and tea was the sweet spot for reducing risk of disease, according to new research.

Drinking coffee and tea may slash your risk of having a stroke or ­developing dementia, according to a new study.

While drinking coffee or tea alone had benefits, the most effect came with drinking both beverages. Four to six cups a day of both coffee and tea was the sweet spot for reducing risk of disease.

Researchers analysed 16 years of beverage consumption and ­disease levels of 365,682 participants from the UK Biobank ­dataset. Over the study period, 5079 participants developed ­dementia and 10,053 experienced at least one stroke.

While drinking coffee or tea alone had benefits, the most effect came with drinking both beverages.

People who drank two to three cups of coffee or three to five cups of tea per day, or a combination of four to six cups of coffee and tea, had the lowest incidence of stroke or dementia. Individuals who drank two to three cups of coffee and two to three cups of tea daily had a 32 per cent lower risk of stroke and a 28 per cent lower risk of dementia compared with those who drank neither coffee nor tea.

Intake of coffee alone, or in combination with tea, was also ­associated with lower risk of post-stroke dementia.

There were several reasons as to why coffee and tea may be beneficial. Coffee is a rich source of antioxidants and other bioactive compounds. Antioxidants fight free radicals in the body and, if there are more free radicals in the body than antioxidants, it can ­result in damage to the DNA, which increases the risk of cancer and accelerates ageing. An excess of free radicals is linked to multiple diseases including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Tea containing caffeine, catechin polyphenols and flavonoids has been associated with neuro-protective effects such as ­antioxidative stressand anti-inflammation.“Our study showed that there was an interaction between coffee and tea that associated with stroke and dementia,” the researchers found.

The researchers also found the combination of coffee and tea consumption was associated with lower risk of ischaemic stroke and vascular dementia.

“Coffee and tea are distinct beverages with both overlapping and different contents. One potential mechanism for the effects on the risk of stroke and dementia may be related to the combined protective role of the different ­antioxidant and other biological contents in these two beverages.”

The researchers also found the combination of coffee and tea consumption was associated with lower risk of ischaemic stroke and vascular dementia.

“We found that drinking coffee and tea separately or in combination were associated with lower risk of stroke and dementia,” the researchers said. “Intake of coffee alone or in combination with tea was associated with lower risk of post-stroke dementia.”