This section reveals some of the common and intriguing myths in the world of medicine and discusses some of the exciting recent medical discoveries and how they affect your world.


9. IS DRINKING COFFEE BAD FOR YOUR BRAIN?

Although there continues to be a brewing controversy over caffeine consumption, it appears that a few lattes a day may be good for your memory. According to research published out of Florida, consuming 500 milligrams of caffeine a day (which is the equivalent of 5 cups of coffee), may effectively reverse memory loss in patients with established Alzheimer's disease. In this study, they gathered up mice who apparently had memory issues and gave them caffeine (my guess would be some espresso) and then tested their cognitive function. What the scientists found was that the mice were not only running around like cheetahs, but they also demonstrated an improvement in their memory...I guess they found the cheese they hid under the couch last month. What was even more interesting was that the caffeine-fueled mice had lower levels of amyloid protein (which is the plaque that forms in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease). This finding means that next time we can't remember how to program the VCR, it might be best to just relax and head to Starbucks...