Could Coffee Consumption Decrease Your Chance of Developing MS?
Drinking coffee could decrease the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study.
“Caffeine intake has been associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, and our study shows that coffee intake may also protect against MS, supporting the idea that the drug may have protective effects for the brain,” said Ellen Mowry, MD, MCR, an author of the study, a researcher with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
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Researchers examined the coffee consumption habits of 1629 MS patients and 2807 healthy individuals from a Swedish study and 1159 MS patients and 1172 healthy individuals from a US study.
In the Swedish study, researchers discovered that participants who did not consume coffee had a one and a half times heighted risk of MS manifestation compared to those that consumed at least 6 cups of coffee.
In the US study, researchers found that compared to those who drank 4 or more cups of coffee daily, those who did not consume coffee were about 1 and a half times more likely to experience MS development.
The investigators noted that further studies should examine the way that caffeine impacts relapses and long-term disability in MS.
The complete study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 67th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC (April 18 to April 25, 2015).
-Michelle Canales Butcher
Reference:
American Academy of Neurology. Can coffee reduce your risk of MS. February 26, 2015. www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/1349. Accessed February 27, 2015.