We learned that caffeine might shield the brain from memory loss.

Researchers from the University of Illinois discovered that a signal that activated brain-based inflammation associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is blocked by caffeine.

To test the theory, the scientists examined the effect of caffeine on memory development in mice.  One group was given caffeine, while another received none. The two groups of mice were then exposed to hypoxia, a process that simulates what happens in the brain during an interruption of breathing or blood flow, and then allowed to recover.

The mice that were given caffeine recovered their ability to form a new memory 33 percent faster than the mice that received no caffeine.