Magnesium levels may play a role in developing dementia. New research out of the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands has found that too little or too much magnesium may increase the risk of developing dementia. Researchers measured magnesium levels in 9,569 participants, adjusting the results to accommodate sex, education, health conditions, and other factors. At the start of the study nobody had dementia but by the end of it, 823 people developed dementia, and 662 were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. They found that participants which fell in the high and low magnesium groups had a 30 percent higher likelihood of developing dementia than those who fell into the middle category. 

Caffeine may help women with diabetes. A study carried out at the University of Porto in Portugal has found that caffeine may benefit women with diabetes, finding that just one cup of coffee can reduce their risk of death by 50 percent. They found that women who had 100-200 milligrams of caffeine were 57 percent less likely to die compared to participants who had no caffeine. By increasing the dose to over 200 milligrams daily,  participants had a 66 percent lower risk of death. It looks like tea may be beneficial as well, with researchers finding that drinking green tea reduced cancer-related mortality. Women who had over 200 milligrams of caffeine in the form of tea had an 80 percent smaller likelihood of developing cancer compared to those who did not get their caffeine fix from tea. More research will be required to find out exactly how coffee and tea play a role in disease prevention and diabetes management.