Pace Paw Print

In addition to keeping your brain awake, a morning cup of joe may also, experts say, help protect it from dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.

According to a study conducted by the Journal of Neuroinflammation, caffeine may provide a vital line of defense to your noggin by protecting the so-called "blood-brain barrier," a filter of sorts between the brain and the body's main bloodstream which can be weakened by high cholesterol levels.

Breaches in this barrier can allow neurological damage which might, according to researchers, trigger the memory-deteriorating condition.

The experiment, carried out at the University of North Dakota, involved keeping two groups of rabbits on identical high-fat diets, one of which received daily caffeine supplements. Following the end of the 12-week trial, scientists found that the blood-brain barrier in the caffeinated bunnies was significantly more preserved than those which were not, a result to which they could only attribute to the drug.

Dr. Jonathan Geiger, who led the study, concluded that "caffeine appears to block several of the disruptive effects of the cholesterol that make the blood-brain barrier leaky."

Previous research by the Alzheimer's Society, which had attributed defects in the blood-brain barrier to the development of the disease, as well as strokes, correlated well with the results of the North Dakota experiments. "In addition to its effect on the vascular system, elevated cholesterol levels also cause problems with the blood brain barrier," said a society spokesperson. "This is the best evidence yet that caffeine equivalent to one cup of coffee a day can help protect the brain against cholesterol."

The society expressed a positive and optimistic response to the results and asserted the possibility of performing further research on the phenomena with humans. Geiger, too, found "venti" promise, adding that "caffeine is a safe and readily available drug and its ability to stabilize the blood brain barrier means it could have an important part to play in therapies against neurological disorders."

Charging $4.00 a latte may finally be justified!

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