Drinking the right amount of coffee is good for the brain of the elderly.

Coffee drinking is associated with brain health, but there is no causal relationship between the two. Past studies have shown that caffeine may be good for the body's nervous system.

A new study finds that drinking a moderate amount of coffee in the elderly can help promote brain health. However, if the elderly do not have the habit of drinking a lot of coffee and suddenly increase their coffee intake, it may increase the risk of pre-dementia such as mild impairment of memory and thinking.

The study, published recently in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, only showed a link between coffee drinking and brain health, not a causal link. Past studies have shown that caffeine may be good for the body's nervous system.

In the study, researchers at the University of Bari in Italy studied 1445 people aged 65 and 84, tracking their coffee drinking habits and brain health changes for an average of three and a half years. The results showed that older people who drank one or two cups of coffee a day were less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those who did not drink coffee and drank little coffee. But drinking more than two cups of coffee a day is no more good for brain health.

The researchers believe that caffeine may have a neuroprotective effect and reduce brain damage caused by amyloid accumulation. Amyloid accumulation is likely to cause Alzheimer's disease. People with diabetes are more likely to suffer from memory impairment, and moderate intake of caffeine may promote insulin sensitivity, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and delay brain aging, the researchers said.