In my continuing attempt to occasionally bring my readers some medical news that is most likely likely not commented on by the MSM.
In just the past few years I have known three individuals with Parkinson’s Disease, and so this piece in Neurology was of special interest to me
From Epoch Health:
While previous research highlighted caffeine’s benefits like increased energy and enhanced cognitive performance, a recent study in the journal, Neurology, adds to the evidence that caffeine may help prevent Parkinson’s disease, a progressive movement disorder. The new study examined coffee intake and future Parkinson’s risk in 184,024 participants across six European countries.
Unlike prior studies, it quantified caffeine biomarkers years before Parkinson’s onset. Researchers identified 351 Parkinson’s cases, matched with controls by age, sex, study center, and fasting status during blood collection.
Results showed that higher caffeine consumption and the presence of key metabolites like paraxanthine and theophylline were linked to reduced Parkinson’s risk.
The neuroprotective effects were exposure-dependent, with the highest consumption group having nearly 40 percent lower Parkinson’s risk compared to non-coffee drinkers.
The “sweet spot of coffee consumption” is probably two to four cups per day, Dr. Jack Wolfson, a board-certified cardiologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, not associated with the study, told The Epoch Times. Above that amount, “there is probably not much benefit,” he added.
The scientific evidence linking coffee consumption to a decreased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease is quite strong, Dr. Hwai Ooi, a neurologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.
In addition to coffee consumption, experts say there are other lifestyle factors and habits that could play a role in reducing the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
The most important is aerobic exercise, “which has clearly been shown to be neuroprotective effects in Parkinson’s disease and can slow down progression of the disease,” Dr. Ooi said. Current guidelines recommend a minimum of 2.5 hours of aerobic activity per week for those with Parkinson’s.
My take on this is to have a couple of cups of JOE in the morning followed by thirty minutes of walking or any other type of loco- MOtion.
6/8/24