Research Suggests Caffeinated Coffee or Tea Could Reduce Dementia Risk

Data from a study published in JAMA suggest that greater consumption of caffeinated coffee and tea is associated with lower risk of dementia and modestly better cognitive function. Specifically, the most pronounced association was observed at moderate intake levels, or 2 to 3 cups per day.¹

“This is a very large, rigorous study conducted long-term among men and women that shows that drinking 2 or 3 cups of coffee per day is associated with reduced risk of dementia,” Aladdin Shadyab, PhD, associate professor of public health and medicine at the University of California, San Diego, said.²

Understanding Links Between Caffeine Consumption and Improved Health

Coffee may offer several potential health benefits beyond a quick energy boost, with research suggesting it could play a role in mood support and disease prevention. One meta-analysis found that higher coffee and caffeine intake were associated with a lower risk of depression, with an estimated 8% decrease in depression risk for each additional cup of coffee per day, though experts still emphasize moderation and note that coffee is not a substitute for depression treatment.³

Coffee consumption has also been linked to reduced risk for certain cancers, including head and neck cancers, with pooled data showing inverse associations for multiple cancer subsites among individuals drinking several cups daily.⁴

In addition, emerging research suggests coffee and other caffeine sources may be associated with better kidney health, as a large cross-sectional analysis found an inverse relationship between coffee consumption and chronic kidney disease—possibly due to coffee’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.⁵ While more prospective research is needed, these findings highlight how coffee may contribute to both mental and physical health when consumed thoughtfully.

For the current prospective cohort study, investigators enrolled US female participants from the Nurse’s Health Study (NHS; n = 86,606 with data from 1980–2023) and male participants from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS; n = 45,215 with data from 1986–2023) who did not have cancer, Parkinson disease, or dementia at baseline to investigate associations of coffee and tea intake with dementia risk and cognitive function.¹

The primary exposures were intakes of caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea. Dietary intake was collected every 2 to 4 years using validated food frequency questionnaires. The primary end point was dementia, which was identified via death records and physician diagnoses. Secondary end points included subjective cognitive decline assessed by a questionnaire-based score (range of 0–7, with higher scores indicating greater perceived decline; cases defined as those with a score ≥3) and objective cognitive function assessed only in the NHS cohort using telephone-based neuropsychological tests (eg, Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status [TICS] score; range, 0-41) and a measure of global cognition (a standardized mean z score for all 6 administered cognitive tests).¹

Caffeine Consumption Associated With Lower Risk of Dementia, Modestly Better Cognitive Function

Among the 131,821 enrolled participants (mean ages at baseline: 46.2 years in the NHS cohort and 53.8 years in the HPFS cohort) during up to 43 years of follow-up (median: 36.8 years [IQR, 28–42 years]), there were 11,033 reported cases of incident dementia. After adjusting for potential confounders and pooling results across cohorts, the investigators observed that higher caffeinated coffee intake was significantly associated with lower dementia risk (141 vs 330 cases per 100,000 person-years; hazard ratio, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.76 to 0.89]) and lower prevalence of subjective cognitive decline (7.8% vs 9.5%, respectively; prevalence ratio, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.78 to 0.93]). Additionally, in the NHS cohort, higher caffeinated coffee intake was associated with better objective cognitive performance. Compared with participants in the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile had a higher mean TICS score (mean difference, 0.11 [95% CI, 0.01 to 0.21]) and a higher mean global cognition score (mean difference, 0.02 [95% CI, −0.01 to 0.04]), but the investigators emphasized that the association with global cognition was not statistically significant (P = .06).¹

Further, higher intake of tea showed similar associations with these cognitive outcomes, whereas decaffeinated coffee intake was not associated with neither lower dementia risk nor better cognitive performance. A dose-response analysis demonstrated nonlinear inverse associations of caffeinated coffee and tea intake levels with dementia risk and subjective cognitive decline. The authors wrote that the most pronounced associated differences were observed with intake of approximately 2 to 3 cups per day of caffeinated coffee or 1 to 2 cups per day of tea.¹

“[The findings don’t necessarily suggest that we should be encouraging people to drink coffee, but it is reassuring to those who currently drink coffee that it may reduce risk of dementia,” Shadyab explained.²

REFERENCES

1. Zhang Y, Liu Y, Li Y, et al. Coffee and Tea Intake, Dementia Risk, and Cognitive Function. JAMA. Published online February 09, 2026. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.27259

2. Belluck P. 2 to 3 Cups of Coffee a Day May Reduce Dementia Risk. But Not if It’s Decaf. The New York Times. February 9, 2026. Accessed February 10, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/health/coffee-tea-dementia-risk.html?unlocked_article_code=1.K1A.sAFI.lVxEZIQYQhba&smid=nytcore-ios-share

3. Ferruggia K. Fun Fact: Coffee Could Reduce Feelings of Depression. Pharmacy Times. November 28, 2025. Accessed February 10, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/fun-fact-coffee-could-reduce-feelings-of-depression

4. Gerlach A. Coffee and Tea Linked to Lower Risk of Head and Neck Cancers. Pharmacy Times. January 7, 2025. Accessed February 10, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/coffee-and-tea-linked-to-lower-risk-of-head-and-neck-cancers

5. McGovern G. Caffeine Consumption Not Associated With Chronic Kidney Disease, Study Finds. Pharmacy Times. August 7, 2025. Accessed February 10, 2026. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/caffeine-consumption-not-associated-with-chronic-kidney-disease-study-finds