02/09/2026
In a prospective cohort study involving more than 130 000 US adults followed for up to 43 years, higher intake of caffeinated coffee and tea was associated with lower risk of developing and modestly better cognitive performance, as measured by both subjective and objective tests.
The inverse association was most pronounced at moderate intake, approximately 2 to 3 cups per day of caffeinated coffee or 1 to 2 cups per day of tea, while decaffeinated coffee intake showed no significant relationship to dementia risk or cognitive outcomes.
This prospective cohort study investigates whether coffee and tea intake are associated with dementia risk and cognitive function in female participants from the Nurses’ Health Study and male participants from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.