Starbucks Can Save Your Brain

Go ahead, grab another cup of joe – it’s good for you! [BBC] We already knew drinking a little coffee cuts your risk of Alzheimers’. Now we may know why. According to new research, "coffee may cut the risk of dementia by blocking the damage cholesterol can inflict on the body."

Here’s how it works: There is a "blood brain barrier" surrounding the brain which protects the central nervous system, filtering harmful chemicals out of the blood. When you have high cholesterol, this barrier can get a little leaky. Scientists have found, however, that a daily dose of a little caffeine can protect that barrier from the destructive effects of cholesterol.

The Science: Some rabbits with a high-fat (and thus high cholesterol) diet were given the equivalent of a daily cup of coffee for 12 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the java bunnies had a blood brain barrier that was more intact than the ones without caffeine.

Wonder what effect our (jitter! jitter!) seven-cup-a-day (jitter! shake!) habit will have on our (tic!) brain?

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