Caffeine relieves Alzheimer's disease

The researchers fed 18-month-old mice with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease mixed with caffeine and found that the symptoms were alleviated. The amount of caffeine consumed by the rats is equivalent to five cups of coffee a day.

After being fed with water for a month, the researchers tested the cognitive and motor abilities of the mice. In the experiment of finding a destination, the caffeine-fed mice got lost less often every day, although the destination changed each time, and they also reached their destination faster, which was similar to that of healthy mice. However, the road-finding ability of the experimental mice in the control group which drank only clear water every day was not improved.

The researchers found that caffeine-fed mice did not increase the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the hippocampus and cortex, which are responsible for memory. Further analysis showed that caffeine intake in the mice inhibited the action of an enzyme that promoted the production of abnormal proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Sen long, an associate professor at Saitama Medical University who participated in the study, said the study revealed some of the mechanisms by which researchers speculated that caffeine could relieve the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease based on human findings. Although this study is still in the animal experimental stage, it provides a basis for exploring ways to inhibit the development of human Alzheimer's disease symptoms.