A century of coffee and tea research in cognitive health and Alzheimer's disease: Structural, thematic, and translational insights (1911–2025)

BackgroundAlthough studies have explored tea and coffee in relation to Alzheimer's disease, no century-scale analysis has jointly examined both within a unified primary-evidence framework.ObjectiveThis study maps the structural, thematic, and temporal evolution of coffee and tea research in cognitive aging.MethodsScopus-indexed original English articles (1911-2025) were retrieved using a structured Boolean strategy under PRISMA guidance. Analyses were conducted using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer. Performance metrics, collaboration networks, co-citation mapping, Bradford's Law, co-word clustering, thematic evolution, and overlay visualization were applied to full-period and recent (2021-2025) datasets.ResultsA total of 2873 articles across 1285 sources demonstrated steady annual growth (4.96%) and substantial citation impact (mean 40.17 citations per document). Research productivity was concentrated in high-income countries, led by the United States, United Kingdom, and China, reflecting core-periphery stratification and citation asymmetry. Collaboration networks showed hub dominance with dense transatlantic-Eurasian linkages. Bradford analysis identified a limited core of highly productive journals. Thematic evolution revealed persistent anchoring in Alzheimer's disease, oxidative stress, and neuroprotection, with sustained prominence of coffee, caffeine, tea, and polyphenols. Recent years indicate translational expansion integrating microbiome science and computational methods. Overlay visualization demonstrated temporal stratification, highlighting emerging themes such as gut microbiota and deep learning alongside stable beverage-related cognitive frameworks.ConclusionsCoffee and tea research in cognitive aging has evolved into a mature, mechanistically grounded, and globally stratified field, increasingly integrating translational, microbiome, and computational approaches in dementia-related investigations.