Caffeine lovers have one more reason to celebrate the kick that gets us going every morning. Consuming coffee or tea daily has been linked to a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's is one of the most prevalent neurological diseases in the world, and symptoms include tremors, stiffness, difficulty in balancing and coordination. It stems from the deterioration of neurons in the basal ganglia, the part of the brain that controls movement.
Studies have found that caffeine can decrease oxidative stress, which leads to both cell damage and inflammation within the brain. And in doing so, it may help reduce your risk for Parkinson's.
“Studies show a very consistent association of a protective effect of coffee and tea drinking, whether in America, Europe or Asia,” similar to the effect from exercise, said Eng-King Tan, a professor of medicine at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. “The risk reduction generally is 25 to 30 percent if you take two to three 6-to-8-ounce cups of coffee or tea per day over 10 years.”
A meta-analysis of 26 studies conducted in 2010 reinforced the fact that consuming more caffeine is linked to a lower Parkinson's risk.
The link has been particularly noted for coffee, tea, and other sources of caffeine such as cola and chocolate. However, there is an exception—the same benefits are not demonstrated for decaffeinated coffee.
