Caffeine may help older women protect their thinking skills; not to mention stay awake

According to a study published in the August 7, 2007, issue of Neurology, caffeine may help older women protect their cognitive abilities.

The French National Institute for Health and Medical Research study found that women age 65 and older who drank more than three cups of coffee (or the equivalent in tea) per day had less decline over time on tests of memory than women who drank one cup or less of coffee or tea per day. The results held up even after researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect memory abilities, such as age, education, disability, depression, high blood pressure, medications, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses.

Furthermore, the benefits increased with age – coffee drinkers being 30 percent less likely to have memory decline at age 65 and rising to 70 percent less likely over age 80.

All of the standard qualifiers apply to this study. It's preliminary, more research is necessary and researchers aren't exactly sure of why coffee has that affect on women but not men, and you should consult your own medical professional about the particular needs of your diet.

While on the subject of the potential health benefits of caffeinated coffee, there is a middle age health affliction called "late-onset blepharospasm" that research is indicating may be staved off by drinking cofee. Late-onset blepharospasm is part of a class of disorders known as dystonias that involve involuntary muscle contractions. According to study reported in Reuters Health drinking coffee can protect people from developing the tic." Dr. Giovanni Defazio of the University of Bari, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health that "It is not a cure, but it should prevent the development of blepharospasm."

Source: Press release from the American Academy of Neurology