Research from the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre (ADRC) in Tampa at the University of South Florida showed that 500mg of caffeine a day - the equivalent of three large cups of coffee - may be able to slow the effects of the degenerative disease.
Alzheimer's takes place when a substance called beta-amyloid builds up in a person's brain, the study's authors explained.
When the tests were undertaken on mice, who were suffering a rodent form of the disease, they showed a 50 per cent reduction in the amount of beta-amyloid build ups after their drinking water was spiked with caffeine.
Dr Gary Arendash, a neuroscientist with Florida ADRC, said that the study produces evidence that suggests coffee could be used as a viable treatment and not just a protective strategy.
He added that caffeine is a safe drug for the majority of people as it easily enters the brain and "appears to directly affect the disease process".
The organization is now looking to source money for well-designed tests to be undertaken on humans.
Research, recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, suggested there was a link between high levels of nitrate in food and the environment and increasing numbers of deaths from illnesses such as Alzheimer's.
