Caffeine Wins: Harvard Study Links Coffee and Tea to Lower Dementia Risk
Every so often, a medical study lands that perfectly aligns with your habits and worldview. A new Harvard study in JAMA, “Coffee and Tea Intake, Dementia Risk, and Cognitive Function,” examined 132,000 participants with up to 43 years of follow-up and documented 11,033 dementia cases. Higher intake of caffeinated coffee was significantly associated with a lower risk of dementia, whereas decaffeinated coffee showed no significant association. Overall, greater consumption of caffeinated coffee and tea was linked to reduced dementia risk and modestly better cognitive function, with the strongest effects observed at moderate intake levels.
This is good news for the world at large. U.S. and global coffee consumption are both growing, with a clear shift toward specialty, at‑home brewing, and younger demographics driving much of the incremental demand. Around 66–73% of U.S. adults report drinking coffee daily in 2025–2026, the highest share in roughly two decades, with average intake at about 3 cups per day per drinker.
This is the best news your author has heard all year.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to brew my tenth Nespresso Melozio Boost—extra caffeine and all—and contemplate which medical study to celebrate next.