摘要：We drink 8-10 cups of beverages each day, with variable effects on brain function.Coffee may benefit the brain through multiple pa

The Best Drinks for Brain Health

有益大脑健康的最佳饮品

These two beverages are standouts for brain health.

这两种饮料对大脑健康非常有益。

Posted September 26, 2025 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer Ph.D.

发布于 2025 年 9 月 26 日 | 由 Monica Vilhauer 博士审核。

We drink 8-10 cups of beverages each day, with variable effects on brain function.Coffee may benefit the brain through multiple pathways, but caution is key due to caffeine consumption.Tea contains molecules like EGCG that may be neuroprotective.

我们每天喝8-10杯饮料，对大脑功能的影响各不相同。咖啡可能通过多种途径使大脑受益，但由于咖啡因的摄入，谨慎是关键。茶中含有EGCG等分子，可能具有神经保护作用。

The average adult drinks around 10-11 cups of beverages a day. What we drink can be relatively neutral, healthful or harmful to our brains. What you sip each day may do more for your brain than you realize. While sugary sodas and alcohol can chip away at cognition, coffee and tea consistently rise to the top as brain-friendly beverages. Today, we’re breaking down the latest science on these two remarkable beverages, and exactly what the research tells us about dosing and potential areas of concern.

成年人平均每天饮用约10-11杯饮料。我们喝的饮料可能相对无害，也可能对大脑有益，也可能有害。你每天喝的饮料对大脑的影响可能比你意识到的还要大。含糖汽水和酒精会削弱认知能力，而咖啡和茶则一直是大脑友好型饮料中的佼佼者。今天，我们将深入分析这两种卓越饮料的最新科学进展，并探讨其剂量和潜在问题。

1. Coffee

1.咖啡

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages consumed in the US, with about 75% of adults reporting being coffee drinkers and about half of adults drinking the stuff daily. Older adults and men tend to drink more, and the average coffee intake per person is around 9 pounds a year. Yet American consumption pales in comparison to countries like Finland, Norway and Iceland, where it can be more than double this.

咖啡是美国最受欢迎的饮品之一，约75%的成年人表示自己是咖啡饮用者，约一半的成年人每天都会喝咖啡。老年人和男性的咖啡饮用量往往更高，人均年咖啡摄入量约为9磅。然而，与芬兰、挪威和冰岛等国相比，美国的咖啡消费量却相形见绌，这些国家的咖啡消费量可能是美国的两倍多。

When it comes to coffee and brain health, there’s some debate around specifics. This may be in part due to variability in coffee preparations and the effect of caffeine at different doses and on the biology of the person consuming the beverage. For example, let’s note that coffee has very different meanings to different people. An American double fudge pumpkin spice blended “coffee” might contain 400 calories, mostly from added sugar, while the default coffee beverage in Italy, an espresso, could have less than 5.

谈到咖啡与大脑健康的关系，具体细节存在争议。这可能部分归因于咖啡冲泡方法的多样性，以及不同剂量咖啡因对饮用者生理机能的影响。例如，咖啡对不同的人来说有着截然不同的含义。一杯美式双倍软糖南瓜香料混合“咖啡”可能含有400卡路里，主要来自添加糖，而意大利的默认咖啡饮品——意式浓缩咖啡，其卡路里含量可能不到5卡路里。

A recent meta analysis suggested that coffee and caffeine may have protective effects on mood, while another suggested a protective effect on cognition from consumption of 2.5 cups of coffee a day. Longitudinal observational data also suggest that moderate coffee consumption may be protective against cognitive decline.

最近的一项荟萃??分析表明，咖啡和咖啡因可能对情绪有保护作用，而另一项分析则表明，每天饮用2.5杯咖啡对认知能力有保护作用。纵向观察数据也表明，适量饮用咖啡可能有助于预防认知能力下降。

The key mechanisms linking coffee consumption to brain function include alterations in neurotransmitters like dopamine, the immune and antioxidant functions of coffee polyphenols and the potential for increasing neuroplasticity through increase in molecules like BDNF.

将咖啡消费与大脑功能联系起来的关键机制包括多巴胺等神经递质的改变、咖啡多酚的免疫和抗氧化功能以及通过增加BDNF等分子来提高神经可塑性的潜力。

For those who choose to drink coffee, it’s important to set limits on caffeine consumption (usually 400 mg or less per day). Who shouldn’t drink coffee? The caveats here are mainly around caffeine. Some people metabolize caffeine differently, some people may experience activation of anxious symptoms or jitteriness with caffeine, and caffeine can be a major sleep disruptor if consumed too late in the day (which is not a good thing for brain health). Pregnant or breastfeeding women need to be more cautious with caffeine as well. For most, 2–4 cups per day, ideally before mid-afternoon if caffeinated, may be the sweet spot. While there is less reseach on decaf coffee, it may still provide some brain benefit.

对于选择喝咖啡的人来说，限制咖啡因的摄入量非常重要（通常每天不超过 400 毫克）。哪些人不能喝咖啡？这里的注意事项主要与咖啡因有关。有些人代谢咖啡因的方式不同，有些人可能会因咖啡因而出现焦虑症状或神经过敏，而且如果在一天中太晚的时候饮用咖啡因，可能会严重扰乱睡眠（这对大脑健康不利）。孕妇或哺乳期妇女也需要对咖啡因更加谨慎。对于大多数人来说，每天 2-4 杯（如果含有咖啡因，最好在下午三点之前饮用）可能是最佳摄入量。虽然对脱咖啡因咖啡的研究较少，但它仍然可能对大脑有益。

2. Tea

2.茶

People have been drinking tea for thousands of years. Recently, the health effects have been the subject of many recent publications both as a beverage and in examination of the individual nutrients within the brew. For example, a 2019 umbrella review found evidence for diverse benefits at 2-3 cups of green or black tea a day, while a 2024 meta-analysis confirmed value, but at a lower dose of 1.5-2 cups daily. Recent work has confirmed a potential cognitive benefit from habitual tea consumption of green and black teas, with potential for maximum value around the 2-3 cup amount, although a 2025 analysis specific to matcha green tea failed to find benefit.

人类饮茶已有数千年历史。近年来，茶的健康益处已成为众多出版物的主题，既包括作为饮料，也包括对茶饮中各种营养成分的研究。例如，2019年的一项综合综述发现，每天饮用2-3杯绿茶或红茶具有多种益处；而2024年的一项荟萃??分析证实了其益处，但每日饮用量较低，仅为1.5-2杯。最近的研究证实，习惯性饮用绿茶和红茶可能对认知有益，且在2-3杯左右的饮用量可能带来最大益处，尽管2025年一项针对抹茶绿茶的分析未能发现其益处。

Like coffee, tea is loaded with molecules called polyphenols that may be partially responsible for the associated benefits. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG] is the dominant polyphenol in green tea and has been independently studied for its potential to modulate metabolic pathways, brain inflammation oxidative stress and more. L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea, has been shown to relate to improved brain function in some human studies, and is reported to exert an anti-stress effect.

与咖啡一样，茶中富含一种名为多酚的分子，这可能是其相关益处的部分原因。表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯 (EGCG) 是绿茶中的主要多酚，其调节代谢途径、脑部炎症、氧化应激等作用的潜力已被独立研究。L-茶氨酸是茶中发现的一种氨基酸，一些人体研究表明，它与改善脑功能有关，并有报道称其具有抗压力作用。

When it comes to considerations around tea drinking, the most common, again, relates again to limiting caffeine consumption. Black tea is typically highest in caffeine, and certain subtypes or blends (e.g., breakfast tea) can contain higher amounts than others. When possible, it’s good to know how much caffeine is in your tea, and if it’s not clear, consider drinking lower caffeine or herbal teas especially in the afternoon. While tea does contain oxalates, the relative risk of kidney stones is low for most people. If you choose to drink tea, research suggests 2-3 cups of green or black tea a day earlier in the day may be most optimal.

说到饮茶的注意事项，最常见的还是限制咖啡因的摄入。红茶的咖啡因含量通常最高，某些亚型或混合茶（例如早餐茶）的咖啡因含量也可能高于其他茶类。如果可能，最好了解自己喝的茶中咖啡因的含量，如果不清楚，可以考虑饮用低咖啡因茶或花草茶，尤其是在下午。虽然茶中确实含有草酸盐，但对大多数人来说，患肾结石的相对风险较低。如果您选择喝茶，研究表明，每天早些时候喝2-3杯绿茶或红茶可能是最佳选择。

来源：左右图史