Coffee to the rescue!

Photo credit: amanda28192 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/amanda28192/6216031916/)

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease found in adults ages 50 and up. Research has tried to narrow down the cause to just one factor, but scientists have found that genetic and environmental factors are both at cause. While it is believed that genetic factors are a great influence in early cases of PD, environmental factors are a greater influence in the formation of PD in the elderly. Currently there is no cure, but recent studies by scientists from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease have showed that regular intake of caffeine can reduce chances of developing Parkinson’s disease by about 25 percent.

The main goal to finding a cure for PD is to fully understand how and why symptoms of Parkinson’s occur. Common symptoms include bradykinesia (slow movements), rigidity and body tremors. These symptoms are usually caused by damaged motor skills and olfactory nerves, and loss of memory functions in the dopamine section of the brain due to dopamine degeneration. Dopamine degeneration is the process that slowly eats away certain parts of the brain called neuroprotectors. These neuroprotectors allow for control of the body and motor skills each in person. Since Parkinson’s is such a common burdening disease around the world scientists have created several studies in order to decrease its occurrence; particularly the study of the relationship between caffeine and PD.

In the research study from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease a group of scientists searched the databases of Medline, LILACS (Latin America and Caribbean), Scopus and Web of Science in order to select and analyze a particular group of people that would fit their intended experiment. Studies included both cohort and case studies but did however exclude those samples that had short-term exposure to coffee. With a total of 134 reports, ages ranging from 42 to 77 years, the experiment analyzed the findings to denote the relationship between Parkinson’s and the intake of caffeine. Because of the wide range of caffeine sources, the study mostly focused on coffee and tea consumption, but some group studies did include caffeinated beverages and chocolate products. While experimenting, scientists looked at the cerebral cortex that is divided into four sections (frontal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe, and the parietal lobe) each of which have their own function in reference to the five senses. The cortex was analyzed to see what caffeine does to the brain that improves PD. Scientists found that caffeine enhances the activity of neurons therefore constantly restoring/replacing the dying neurons.

So as you sit there, reading this post and possibly drinking something, consider a cup of coffee instead of whatever you have in your hand right now. Research from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that PD was reduced by 25% in those who consumed caffeine regularly throughout their lives. And from personal experience, Parkinson’s can possibly destroy family relations because of the constant burden it creates of taking care of the elder suffering. In the late stages of PD the brain almost completely shuts down, appetite decreases, and memory loss occurs. Another reason to drink coffee on top of all the negatives is fine by me. Coffee drinkers unite!


Prediger R. “Effects of Caffeine in Parkinson’s Disease: From Neuroprotection to the Management of Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms.” Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 20:205-220. 2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.