14 DAY TRIAL // According to the conclusions of a new investigation by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU), it would appear that caffeine – the active chemical found in coffee and many types of teas – can play a role in improving long-term memory in humans.
In a series of experiments conducted at the university, it was revealed that caffeine intake boosts certain types of memories for at least 24 hours after the chemical was consumed. Details of the work appear in a recent issue of the top scientific journal Nature Neuroscience, e! Science News reports.
Michael Yass, who holds an appointment with the JHU Krieger School of Arts and Sciences as an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences, says that caffeine has been known to have cognitive-enhancing effects for years. For example, some studies suggest that it may be involved in preventing forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's in some patients.
“Almost all prior studies administered caffeine before the study session, so if there is an enhancement, it's not clear if it's due to caffeine's effects on attention, vigilance, focus or other factors. By administering caffeine after the experiment, we rule out all of these effects and make sure that if there is an enhancement, it's due to memory and nothing else,” Yassa explains.
The experiments were designed to be double-blind. Participants included both people who regularly consumed caffeinated products, and people who did not. They were given either a caffeine pill or a placebo during the tests, so that the results could come up as clearly as possible.