In addition to increasing your attentiveness and mood, cold brew coffee may benefit your brain in other ways.
Caffeine stimulates your nervous system and may affect how your brain functions.
One recent study observed that drinking coffee can protect your brain from age-related diseases (18Trusted Source).
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are neurodegenerative conditions, which means they are caused by brain cell death that occurs over time. Both illnesses can result in dementia, a decline in mental health that makes daily activities difficult.
Alzheimer’s disease is marked by significant memory impairment, while Parkinson’s often causes physical tremors and stiffness (19).
One observational study found that people who drank 3–5 cups of coffee per day during mid-life had a 65% lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s in old age (20Trusted Source).
Another observational study noted that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. In fact, men who drink more than four cups of coffee per day are five times less likely to develop this condition (21, 22).
It appears that several compounds in coffee, such as phenylindanes, as well as harman and nonharman compounds, provide protection against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (18Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25).
Keep in mind that decaffeinated coffee doesn’t appear to offer the same protective benefits as caffeinated varieties (22).
SUMMARYCold brew coffee contains compounds called phenylindanes, as well as lower amounts of nonharman and harman compounds. These can help protect your brain from age-related diseases.