Latte, americano, cappuccino, matcha, cold brew, french press — a multitude of options exist for those wanting that jolt of caffeine in the morning — and for good reason, seeing as the average American consumes roughly three cups of coffee a day. But caffeine may have benefits beyond providing that morning boost of energy.

A recent study by a team of researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Brigham Women’s Hospital showed that moderate daily caffeine consumption could potentially be linked to a decreased risk of dementia and less cognitive decline with age. Data collected from the Nurse’s Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals follow up study (HPFS) provided the team with information on 131,821 male and female health care professionals over 43 years. While previous studies have investigated the benefits of caffeine for cognitive health, none were performed to this extent or provided data longitudinally.

The team tracked the amount of caffeine consumed by the individuals over 43 years, and had the participants complete questionnaires to test for cognitive function. Caffeine intake was included for a variety of beverages including coffee, tea, and soda, as well as in certain foods such as chocolate. However, the main source of caffeine came from caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee as well as from tea.

The participants were then divided into four quartiles based on their caffeine intake, with quartile one being those with the lowest caffeine intake and quartile four being those with the highest caffeine intake. The primary finding of the study was that those who consumed more caffeinated coffee, quartile four, demonstrated a lower risk for dementia, with the dementia incidence rate being only 141 out of 100,000 individuals, compared to those in the quartile one, where the dementia incidence rate was 330 out of 100,000. The results followed the same trend for high tea intake, though curiously did not replicate for decaffeinated coffee consumption.

In addition to the findings on dementia, it was also revealed that caffeinated coffee and tea were predictors of decreased cognitive decline. Specifically for the individuals in the NHS, caffeinated coffee consumption was linked to higher cognitive function based on the questionnaires. Optimal results for both decreased dementia risk and increased cognitive function were found for those who consumed roughly 300 mg of caffeine daily, which is equivalent to two to three cups of coffee.

While the study presents only a correlational relationship between caffeine consumption and improved cognitive function and dementia outlooks, caffeine has been established to have positive effects on short and long-term memory formation, alongside its more well-known effects of improving alertness and increasing focus.

With the amount of caffeine the average adult consumes, there is more research to be done on the longer-term effects of caffeine that go beyond providing that morning pick-me-up. So, the next time you reach for your caffeinated beverage of choice, you can keep in mind that you may not only be helping yourself stay awake for the day, but also helping your brain stay sharp for years to come.