New research suggests that drinking espresso coffee could help prevent tau clumping - one of the processes believed to be involved in the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The study, conducted by researchers at Verona University in Italy, found that compounds in espresso coffee can inhibit tau protein aggregation. Tau proteins help stabilize structures in the brain in healthy individuals, but when certain diseases develop, the proteins can clump together into fibrils, causing dementia.

In the experiments, the researchers incubated caffeine and other compounds found in espresso alongside a shortened form of the tau protein. As the concentration of espresso extract, caffeine or genistein increased, fibrils were shorter and didn't form larger sheets, with the complete extract showing the most dramatic results. Shortened fibrils were found to be non-toxic to cells and did not act as "seeds" for further clumping.

Regular consumption of espresso coffee has been linked to reduced risk of premature death, protecting against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, Parkinson's and some cancers. The researchers say their preliminary in vitro findings could pave the way toward designing bioactive compounds that could protect against neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings.

This study adds to a growing body of research that suggests caffeine may have protective effects against Alzheimer's disease. However, it is important to note that drinking excessive amounts of caffeine can have negative effects on health, including anxiety, insomnia, and increased heart rate.