

There are many ways people consume caffeine, including in coffee, tea, soda and chocolate, says the study's lead author Michael Yassa. It doesn't matter what the source is, the effect of caffeine will likely be the same, he says.



Findings published in the journal Nature Neuroscience: The people who consumed caffeine were more likely to correctly identify the similar items as slightly different from the original picture. The brain's ability to recognize the difference between two similar but not identical items reflects a deep level of memory discrimination, Yassa says.

Another example of pattern separation is remembering where one's car is parked today vs. yesterday, he says. "This type of discrimination is involved in every facet of memory," Yassa says.



Other research has found that low doses of caffeine have beneficial effects on attention and focus, Yassa says. A few studies on caffeine's effect on humans have found little or no effect on long-term memory retention, but numerous studies in animals have shown that caffeine has a beneficial effect, he says.

While this study is encouraging, he cautions that high doses of caffeine can have negative effects, such as anxiety, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and headaches. "I'm not going to stop drinking my coffee, but it's important to be aware of the costs and benefits," he says. "Drinking coffee late at night is not going to be helpful for most people."

Registered dietitian Elisa Zied, author of Younger Next Week, says, "The bottom line when it comes to coffee and caffeine intake is that they definitely have their perks, but for some they can have their perils, too. Studies on the possible health benefits related to coffee/caffeine intake will continue to emerge, so no one study should dictate a personal decision to include or exclude it from their diet."

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