Caffeine Benefits – Does Caffeine Boost Long-Term Memory?

Study: Caffeine May Boost Long-term Memory

Caffeine, just like chocolate, can act as a psychoactive stimulant substance. And, as such, it can show both positive and negative effects on different forms of memory. Caffeine health benefits often are neglected by media and too often it is mentioned in bad publicity. True that in some instances, and in excess, caffeine can affect our body, but studies show that it also may be quite beneficial.

Numerous studies have suggested that caffeine has many health benefits. Now, research suggests that a dose of caffeine after a learning session may help to boost long-term memory. This is according to a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Since people have a different level of sensitivity to caffeine, some are more sensitive to the negative effects of either caffeine or chocolate, while in others it may show a positive effect.

For example, excess caffeine can create anxiety, nausea (particularly if taken on an empty stomach), an increase in heart rate, and even depression in some people. And chocolate is certainly not something that should form the mainstay of one’s diet. If struggling with sugar addiction, or wanting to lose weight, there are more nutritionally complete foods that are available.

But scientists have turned up some interesting facts on caffeine. For example, caffeine actually blocks the effects of a neurotransmitter in the brain (adenosine) that otherwise makes us feel tired. This is why it works so well to keep us awake. It also encourages the release of another brain chemical, dopamine (as well as adrenaline). Dopamine contributes to a feeling of well being.

Caffeine as a Cognitive Enhancer

Two studies, one a population-based study (which are not as specific or rigorously defined as other types of studies, but nonetheless valuable indicators) found that drinking caffeine containing drinks like coffee and tea had a protective effect for those at risk of developing liver disease. Issues that the study participants had that increased their risk of liver disease included alcoholism, hepatitis B or C, obesity, or other complications.

And the results indicated that people who drank more than 2 cups of coffee a day had a 44% lower chance of showing actual liver damage compared to those who drank no caffeine. This was not a clinical trial, and the reason why coffee and tea had such an effect is not known. Coffee and tea contain a range of plant chemicals (phytonutrients) that could be responsible for this.

A 2005 Norwegian study also found similar benefits for coffee with regards liver disease. This study found that drinking 3 cups of coffee a day could lower the risk of death from liver cirrhosis.

Even if you’re not at risk of liver disease, caffeine still has some advantages. Recent research from Austria showed that caffeine may actually enhance short-term memory. Researchers found that there was an increase in brain activity (as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging) in the parts of the brain that were associated with memory and attention. These parts of the brain were the frontal lobe and the anterior cingulum. This was a placebo-controlled study, meaning that some people were not given any caffeine.

Another, earlier study (2004) found that caffeine did support short-term memory, but only when it was in relation to a topic that people were already thinking about. This study found that when testing coffee’s effects on unrelated subjects, a short-term recall was actually inhibited.

Everything does have a flip side though. Adenosine, which is blocked by coffee, is also calming. This could be why it can also cause anxiety in excess, and in some individuals. After all, the balance of our brain chemistry is unique. And when we are addicted to stimulants like caffeine, we lose the sensitivity to our own natural stimulants (dopamine and adrenaline).

Caffein Research

The research team, led by Daniel Borota of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, notes that although previous research has analyzed the effects of caffeine as a cognitive enhancer, whether caffeine can impact long-term memory has not been studied in detail.

To find out, the investigators analyzed 160 participants aged between 18 and 30 years.

On the first day of the study, the participants were shown pictures of different objects and were asked to identify them as “indoor” or “outdoor” items. Soon after this task, they were randomized to receive either 200 mg of caffeine in the form of a pill or a placebo tablet.

The next day, the participants were shown the same pictures as well as some new ones. The researchers asked them to identify whether the pictures were “new,” “old” or “similar to the original pictures.”

200 mg of Caffeine Shows “Enhanced Memory”

According to a study published in The Journal of Nature Neuroscience, Caffeine may boost long-term memory. Studies done earlier, indicated that caffeine may have a positive effect on the body and a particularly as a Brain Function Enhancer. Moreover, The latest research suggests, a dose of caffeine after a learning session may help to boost long-term memory.

The researchers studied memory function in two groups of subjects: one who took the caffeine and second compared with participants who took the placebo. The results show that the first group (who take caffeine) were better at identifying pictures that were similar, compared to the second group who took the placebo.

However, the researchers note that both groups were able to accurately distinguish whether pictures were old or new.

In the further experiments, that team conducted they used 100 mg and 300 mg doses of caffeine. As result, the performance after the 200 mg dose was better, compared with the 100 mg dose. However, but 300 mg of caffeine, compared with 200 mg didn’t show any improvement.

Conclusions of the Study

“Thus, we conclude that a dose of at least 200 mg is required to observe the enhancing effect of caffeine on consolidation of memory,” wrote the study authors.

The team also found that memory performance was not improved if subjects were given caffeine 1 hour before carrying out the picture identification test. According to the results of the research, there are many possibilities as to how caffeine may help enhance long-term memory and brain function.

One of the assumptions is that caffeine may block a molecule called Adenosine, and prevent from it stopping the function of Norepinephrine, the hormone that is suggested to have positive effects on memory.

Since the results of the study were intriguing researchers concluded that more in-depth research has to be conducted to better understand the mechanisms of how caffeine can affect long-term memory and cognitive health. “Given the widespread use of caffeine and the growing interest in its effects both as a cognitive enhancer and as a neuroprotectant, these questions are of critical importance.”