Coffee break gives hidden health boost; DAILY CUPPA IS GOODFOR YOURMEMORY - AND IT'S NOT THE ONLY DRINK THAT CAN HAVE GREAT BENEFITS.

Byline: Laura Coventry

YOUR morning mug of coffee may do more than keep you from falling asleep at your desk. New research shows it could also help stave off memory loss, a key symptom of Alzheimer's disease.

Studies have found that giving lab mice the equivalent of 500 milligrams of caffeine per day had a positive impact on their memory over a two-month period.

The research, published online in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, found that for mice with the rodent equivalent of Alzheimer's disease, consuming caffeine-spiked water resulted in a 50 per cent reduction in the levels of a protein in the brain that is a key cause of the disease.

It is good news for coffee-lovers who have been told for years that their daily cuppa is bad for them.

But what other drinks have hidden health benefits? Here is our good liquid guide: TEA Keeps you hydrated Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers.

The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates.

Tea can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, nutritionists found.

Experts say flavonoids in tea promote health. These polyphenol antioxidants have been shown to help prevent cell damage.

Public health nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, and colleagues at Kings College in London, found clear evidence that drinking three to four cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack.

ORANGE JUICE Boosts the immune system Drinking a glass of orange juice a day can keep the doctor away. Orange juice is packed withVitamin C, which is helpful in boosting the immune system and should leave you less susceptible to colds and infections.

Various studies also show orange juice may help lower both cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels - two common problems among middle-aged men and women. CRANBERRY JUICE Protects against cystitis Women have long suspected the humble cranberry can help them beat urine infections and now scientists have confirmed it. Researchers in Finland have proved that drinking the juice can cut the risk of infection by half.

Up to 60 per cent of women have a urinary tract infection at some point and at least a third of these will have a recurrence within a year.

The researchers from the University of Oulu selected 150 volunteers with a history of urinary tract infections. At the end of a six-month trial, scientists found that out of the women who had taken the cranberry and lingonberry juice only 16 per cent had infections, compared to 36 per cent in the group who hadn't drunk the juice.

APPLE JUICE Helps the heart A team of researchers at UC Davis School of Medicine in the US have found drinking apple juice appears to slow down a process that can lead to heart disease.

Compounds in apples and apple juice known as phytonutrients act in much the same way that red wine and tea do to delay the break down of LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

COCOA Reduces the effects of ageing A study by scientists in the United States found that a cup of hot cocoa is rich in powerful antioxidants.

Previous studies have also shown these chemicals, which can protect against a range of diseases and reduce the effects of ageing, are found at higher levels in cocoa than in tea or red wine. RED WINE Long life Those seeking a longevity-boosting tipple should turn their attention to red wines from Sardinia and south-west France, a study found.

UK researchers discovered chemicals called procyanidins were responsible for red wine's well-documented heart-protecting effect and they found traditionallymade wines from these areas had more procyanidins than wines from other parts of the world.

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DRINK UP: Your cuppa could stop memory loss