Caffeine is the number one used substance in the world. Whether you get your jolt of energy from a cup of coffee or tea, or an energy drink doesn’t matter. But what about caffeine as a memory booster? Does it work?
Up until now there has only been speculation. While we may think that it works for our memory where is the proof? Certainly thousands of students each semester cramming for exams would tell you that it is a wonder drug. However, the fact is that there has been no proof until now.
Caffeine As A Memory Booster – The Proof
Recently a study published in the Journal of Nature Neuroscience gives us the evidence we have been waiting for.
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A research team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland – led by Dr. Yassa – found that caffeine enhances certain memories for at least a day after they were formed. via Caffeine Can Improve Your Memory – Business Insider
A group of 73 volunteers were asked to look at a variety of images. Half the group was then given 200mg of caffeine and the other half a placebo. The following day they were shown images, some the same and some different, to distinguish recall and memory. While both groups did well, it was the group who had been given the caffeine that “were much sharper at identifying the similar items in the lineup” (Presse, 2014).
The test sought to discern the effect of caffeine on the hippocampus, a part of the brain that distinguishes between patterns — requiring both short- and long-term memory. via Caffeine Can Improve Your Memory – Business Insider
Here are some reactions from other medical professionals to the study…
Dr. Ashok Jansari, School of Psychology University of London
“This research shows that caffeine is better than placebo for enhancing memory in certain situations…[however] there is a dose-dependent effect, it tails off after doses of 200mg so it may well not be the case that ‘more is better’. I would definitely not advise that people start taking in as much caffeine as possible since in terms of memory anything above 200mg may not help much and if you take too much caffeine there could be negative consequences for the body”. via expert reaction to impact of caffeine on memory | Science Media …
Dr. Anders Sandberg, Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford
“The paper…looks at whether caffeine can improve long-term memory, in particular memory consolidation…that caffeine can help learning to some extent has been known for a long time, but whether it does that simply by perking up the user (making the initial attention or encoding better) or also by effects on the consolidation was not known. The paper demonstrates that giving caffeine after seeing images does improve recognition of them 24 hours later, supporting the idea that it helps the brain consolidate the learning…” via expert reaction to impact of caffeine on memory | Science Media …
More About Caffeine As A Memory Booster
Studies on the pros and cons of caffeine consumption are nothing new, but this research represents a departure from the usual methodology, where subjects are given caffeine before the study sessions. via Caffeine can enhance memory, new research suggests – Gizmag
However, while this study certainly has validity it does not take into consideration the negative effects associated with caffeine. While Dr. Yassa did clearly indicate that higher amounts of caffeine are not correlated with improved memory, it still does not address the negative health effects and risks involved. These need to be considered before starting any type of caffeine regime for memory improvement.
The truth is that there are millions of people that suffer from caffeine sensitivity and there are known effects like irritability, shakes and jitters, headaches, nausea, depression, etc. that are all associated at varying doses.
So the question we need to be asking is which is the lesser evil? Do we improve memory at the cost of other health concerns. This is certainly a very personal decision and one that should be considered carefully.
We can sum it up with these words from the University of Oxford…
“…there is general consensus that caffeine can be seen as an enhancer for specific functions like mood, attention, concentration and reaction time. These enhancement effects have been shown in studies with the general set-up that participants first took caffeine and then did a performance task. This matches our everyday representation of “wise” caffeine use: if I wanted to enhance my performance with caffeine, I’d take immediately before the “critical situation”, for example an exam. via Caffeine as memory enhancer – Practical Ethics – University of Oxford
So there you have it. The number one substance used worldwide, as well as, the favoured study buddy for exams.
References:
Presse, A.F. (2014). Caffeine Can Improve Your Memory. Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/caffeine-can-improve-your-memory-2014-1
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