If you need another reason to drink coffee, University of North Dakota researchers at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) may have just the reason.  In the brain there is a blood-brain barrier (BBB), and high cholesterol levels affect it by breaking it down. Caffeine protects the BBB, which means it reduces the chance a person will suffer a neurological disorder, such as Alzheimer’s Disease.

Researchers discovered this fact when they gave rabbits the equivalent of a cup of coffee each day. They found “caffeine appears to block several of the disruptive effects of cholesterol that make the blood-brain barrier leaky.” Apparently, by doing so caffeine also helps proteins bind tightly to cells of the BBB and that prevents the leakage.

Researchers found people who drink as little as one cup a day can receive these BBB benefits. So, go ahead and enjoy that cup of joe!