Caffeine gives honeybees memory boost

03/2013

Caffeine occurs naturally in the nectar of coffee and citrus flowers. A study of honeybees has revealed that those fed on caffeinated nectar were three times more likely to remember a flower's scent than bees fed sugar alone, after 24 hours. After three days, they were still twice as likely to remember the flower than those fed sugar alone.

This is not only evidence for the cognitive powers of caffeine, but (amusingly) evidence of “how plants can manipulate animals' memories to improve their odds of pollination” (never thought of it that way!). This is not, of course, the primary purpose of caffeine, which plants use as a defense mechanism against insects.

http://researchmatters.asu.edu/stories/bees-get-buzz-caffeine-found-naturally-flower-nectar-2560

[3338] Wright, G. A., Baker D. D., Palmer M. J., Stabler D., Mustard J. A., Power E. F., et al.
(2013).  Caffeine in Floral Nectar Enhances a Pollinator's Memory of Reward.
Science. 339(6124), 1202 - 1204.

Related News

A special supplement in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease focuses on the effects of caffeine on dementia and age-related cognitive decline. Here are the highlights:

Pages

Subscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest health newsSubscribe to Latest news
Error | About memory

Error

The website encountered an unexpected error. Please try again later.