Is coffee good for the brain? A Harvard expert has analyzed how it affects health

Today, consumers are more aware than ever about the effects of food on both the body and the environment. Changes in consumer trends have made companies worry about the value that their products bring to customers. In this way, One of the foods that has generated the most controversy for years is coffee.

The drink that accompanies half the world in each of its mornings has been the protagonist of numerous studies about its impact on the body. However, Boukje van Gelder, a Harvard medical expert, has made a new discovery about one of the most consumed products on the planet: continued consumption of coffee is good for the brain.

This is demonstrated by the latest study carried out on 676 adults. An analysis of ten years in which the study subjects drank different amounts of coffee.

Coffee reduces cognitive decline

Gelder’s study showed that people who drank coffee had less cognitive decline than those who did not.

In fact, the analysis revealed that those subjects who consumed three cups of coffee a day they saw a drastically greater impact than those who took more or less.

However, it should be noted that the coffee-water ratio with which this drink is prepared in each part of the world is considerably different, so the reference to understand the amount of coffee consumed by each person would be equivalent to about 100 mg of caffeine per cup.

This is how coffee protects the brain

Specifically, the Harvard expert identified a series of benefits derived from coffee consumption in adults.

First, caffeine increases serotonin and acetylcholine, two substances responsible for stimulating the brain and helping to stabilize the blood-brain barrier, a network of blood vessels and tissue that prevents harmful substances from entering the brain.

On the other hand, the micronutrients in coffee can prevent tissue damage by free radicals, a type of molecule that can increase the risk of cancer. In the same way, its consumption prevents the blockage of the blood vessels of the brain.

Finally, coffee contains high concentrations of trigonelline, a derivative of vitamin B6 with antioxidant effects, responsible for also protect the blood vessels of the brain.

How should I consume the coffee?

As a starting point, Gelder recommends consuming between two and four cups daily, less than 400 mg of caffeine per day.

On the other hand, the expert recommends drinking coffee made from freshly ground beans and with dark roasts to reduce unwanted chemicals. As well as avoid unfiltered coffeewhich increases cholesterol levels.

It should be noted that Gelder adds three important indications to his study, as collected by CNBC, advice linked to a healthy consumption of coffee:

1. Practice body intelligence

The impact of coffee on the body is not identical in all people, so the recommended amount varies for each case.

The expert advises knowing one’s body, trying different amounts of coffee and analyzing how the body responds. When consumption causes poor health, it is necessary to reduce the dose.

2. Include coffee in your routine

Those people who are not used to drinking coffee may experience difficulties in normalizing their consumption.

For this reason, Gelder recommends choosing the morning as a routine place to create a daily consumption habit, as soon as you wake up.

3. Eliminate coffee shops

Consumption in establishments increases daily personal spending. On the other hand, the consumer cannot know the components of the preparation, which increases the risk of drinking processed foods that inflame the intestine and the brain.