Is coffee good for the brain?

Coffee can protect the brain. One study found that coffee can help keep the blood-brain barrier intact; this barrier acts as a coating, and protects the brain from unwanted materials and damaging elements, like harmful cholesterol. Another study showed that coffee may also improve short-term memory. Coffee is high in antioxidants; Americans get most of their antioxidants from coffee. Drinking one or two cups a day is healthy, just remember to use modest amounts of milk and sugar.

According to studies, drinking 24 ounces of coffee decreases your risk of Parkinson's disease by 40 percent and your risk of Alzheimer's disease by about 20 percent. Why? Researchers are not quite sure, except that it appears caffeine has a beneficial impact on neurotransmitters.

Caffeine's effect is substantial, whether it's coffee or in low-calorie soft drinks. It can help you live three to six months younger.

Warning: For some people, too much caffeine causes irregular heartbeats, difficulty with diabetes, upset stomach, anxiety, or migraines. And in men, if you suffer from an enlarged prostate condition called benign prostatic hypertrophy, caffeine can make it worse by causing spasms in the urethra.