Coffee and Your Brain - A Good Combination?
People sure love their coffee. You see the coffee places all over. Starbucks and Duncan Donuts are selling coffee like crazy in the U.S. Even McDonald's promotes coffee. Many people start their day with coffee, and you are likely one of them.
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide. Americans consume over 400 million cups of coffee per day. Coffee consumption is not limited to the United States. China and India are the two leading nations on the planet in coffee consumption, with the U.S. being number three.
In the U.S., the northeast was the leading region in coffee consumption in the United States, drinking roughly 1.97 cups of coffee per capita per day. The South drank the least, with about 1.8 cups a day.
Starbucks has been the leading seller of coffee in the United States, and for a while, they were the clear leader. Now premium coffee outlets like Starbucks are faced with competition from more traditional fast-food outlets like McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts, selling "cheaper, but almost as good, coffees." Now Duncan Donuts is the number two coffee outlet. No matter where you are getting your coffee … Americans, and people worldwide are drinking a lot of it.
All that coffee consumption is perhaps doing more than giving us a buzz of energy every morning. Caffeine from our morning coffee gives us the energy to start the day, but could it be doing more?
Coffee and Increased Brain Focus
Research shows that as we reach for that second and third cup of coffee every day, it might be helping our brain. Researchers in Portugal say people who regularly drink coffee are more alert and see more activity in their brains. For more coffee types, visit Coffee and Tea.
University of Minho research indicates that consuming more caffeine daily can make coffee drinkers more focused while displaying more significant memory and learning abilities.
The research shows that the effects on the brain can be immediate. Results show that non-coffee drinkers could start seeing benefits for a short time after a single cup of coffee. Those drinking their caffeinated coffee were also less likely to let their minds wander, allowing them to focus throughout the day better. You can visit sipcoffeehouse.com for information on how to brew a perfect cup of coffee.
Coffee and Decreased Risk of Dementia
Caffeine has well-known short-term stimulating effects on the central nervous system, but research has shown moderate coffee drinkers had a 65%-70% decreased risk of dementia and a 62%-64% reduced risk of Alzheimer's compared with low coffee drinkers.
Previous studies have shown that coffee drinking improves our mental performance and may reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease.
All of this can be important as we live in an aging society. Our bodies and health decline with age. Our risk of memory loss and dementia increases as we get older. Alzheimer's and other dementia is a leading causes of people needing long-term health care.
Dementia Care is Costly
The financial impact of dementia is tremendous as health insurance, and Medicare won't pay for most long-term health care. Medicaid will pay for long-term care only if you have little or no income and assets. Long-Term Care Insurance will pay for long-term care services, but you cannot purchase a policy when you need the care - it must be obtained when you are younger and healthier.
According to the LTC NEWS Cost of Care Calculator, long-term health care costs are rising rapidly nationwide - Cost of Care Calculator - Choose Your State | LTC News.
Drink More Coffee?
Should you go drink more coffee? Be careful, as too much caffeine can be detrimental. Plus, the research is not yet conclusive on whether coffee will prevent dementia.
You can plan for your future retirement by including a Long-Term Care Insurance policy in your retirement plan. A policy will not prevent you from needing care but will give you access to your choice of quality care options, including in-home care.
Go grab a cup of coffee and do some research. Being prepared for the costs and burdens of aging will protect savings and reduce the stress and anxiety otherwise placed on those you love.