Coffee and caffeine effects on brain health and disease
What it found
Coffee and caffeine at levels of 200 mg in one sitting or 400 mg daily are not harmful, and caffeine has many positive actions on the brain.
Lifelong consumption has been linked to lower risk of cognitive decline, stroke, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
What they found
Studies in people
Alertness and mood
Caffeine can increase alertness and well-being, help concentration, improve mood and limit depression.
Sleep and anxiety
Caffeine may disturb sleep, but only in sensitive individuals. It may raise anxiety in a small subset of particularly sensitive people.
Dependence and withdrawal
Caffeine does not seem to lead to dependence, although a minority of people experience withdrawal symptoms.
Headache and migraine
Caffeine can potentiate the effect of regular analgesic drugs in headache and migraine.
Long-term brain conditions
Lifelong coffee/caffeine consumption has been associated with prevention of cognitive decline, and reduced risk of developing stroke, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Seizures
Its consumption does not seem to influence seizure occurrence.
What the authors conclude
“Thus, daily coffee and caffeine intake can be part of a healthy balanced diet; its consumption does not need to be stopped in elderly people.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that daily coffee and caffeine intake can be part of a healthy balanced diet.
- They advise that its consumption does not need to be stopped in elderly people.
How it was done
The authors wanted to give healthcare professionals clear guidance on what to tell patients about coffee and caffeine consumption.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This paper does not present new experiments or trials. It summarises what other research has found.
- The links to lower risk of stroke, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease come from studies that follow people over time. They can show a link, but not that coffee causes the lower risk.
The paper
- Title
- Effects of coffee/caffeine on brain health and disease: What should I tell my patients?
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Nehlig A (2016). Effects of coffee/caffeine on brain health and disease: What should I tell my patients?. Practical neurology. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2015-001162PubMed 26677204DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error