3 ms·
I agree. The problem with these kind of studies is that they aren't coming up with explanations and then trying to test them; they're simply looking for correla
by thribbler 16y ago
I agree. The problem with these kind of studies is that they aren't coming up with explanations and then trying to test them; they're simply looking for correlations, which advances knowledge not one jot.
In the case of caffeine I suspect the main benefit is that drinkers of tea and coffee eat less food, and rich food damages the blood vessels of the brain (as it does to the heart).
- metamemetics 16y agoIn the case of alzheimer's, the benefit is most likely from the fact Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the acetylcholine system. In that sense it is similar to nicotine, and NON-smokers are 50% more likely to develop alzheimer's (controlling for increased mortality). One current alzheimer's medication is Galantamine ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galantamine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galantamine ), which also increases acetylcholine levels and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activity specifically.