Any time I read about the benefits of coffee, I wake up. Why? Isn’t it obvious that I’m a caffeine addict? I limit myself to the good stuff in the morning, a cup at lunch and the 4 p.m. espresso that I always imbibe when opportunity knocks.
Recent research out of Indiana University has found caffeine may boost an enzyme that protects against dementia. Many of my regular readers know my mom died of dementia when she was in her 60s. Anything that might reduce my risk of getting that dreaded condition is something I will hop on in a hurry.
Regular exercise, a Mediterranean diet, an aspirin a day, keeping my cholesterol and blood pressure in check: these are all things that might help. And that’s “might” with a small “m,” because we don’t know for sure if these practices really do keep dementia at bay.
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The magic enzyme is NMNAT2 — for you science buffs, the abbreviation stands for nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase.
The enzyme seems to protect against the debilitating effects of nerve loss in the brain, at least in demented mice. Yes, mice get dementia, too. NMNAT2 appears to be a protector chemical that might help knock out Alzheimer’s.
In normal, non-demented mice, caffeine helped them learn to run through a maze better to reach their rewards. How many of you run through virtual mazes every day to get your financial rewards?
My spin: It’s one more reason to do as the Dutch did in the 1600s and add coffee to your diet. When the Dutch arrived in America, so the story goes, they found that the New Englanders’ morning beverage of choice was a glass of rum. But the Dutch chose coffee. Guess who was more productive at their respective occupations?
This recent study shows again that the Puritanical advice not to drink java was misplaced. Tip up. And stay well.
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