Could caffeine have the potential to beat Alzheimer's?

Your coffee may do more than just waking you up in the morning, as in a new study, scientists are trying to see caffeine as a potential cure for Alzheimer's disease.

The latest evidence linking beta amyloid protein to Alzheimer's disease and explores the relationship between caffeine and beta amyloid.

Abhishek Mohan, BS, Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA), and coauthors identified the potential opportunities for using caffeine to reduce beta amyloid levels as a means of preventing, treating, and slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Patricia A. Broderick, PhD, editor-in-chief of the journal featuring the article, said that "to say that strategizing medicines to treat Alzheimer's disorders is important is an understatement. Moreover, to say that caffeine is just an ordinary staple in our lives, whether caffeine is part of coffee or a chocolate bar, is also an understatement. Thus, what Dr. Mohan has published herein is elegant in its simplicity; his work is critically on target."

The article is published in the Journal of Caffeine Research.