Drinking Coffee Daily May Lower Risk of Parkinson’s Disease, Study Finds

How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? A recent study finds that coffee may play a significant role in protecting the brain from Parkinson’s disease.

The study included about 184,000 participants over a 13-year period. The international team of researchers found that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to those who did not consume the popular beverage.

Although previous studies had shown a possible link between coffee and reduced Parkinson’s risk, this is the first time the results have been so statistically significant.

According to the study, the top 25% of coffee drinkers had a 40% lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to non-coffee drinkers. Overall, the risk reduction among coffee drinkers ranged between 5% and 63%.

Researchers find that the way caffeine helps maintain dopamine flow in the brain may be key to its protective effect. Experts estimate that Parkinson’s affects at least 1% of people over the age of 60 worldwide.

The researchers wrote: “These effects align with our findings, which revealed an inverse relationship between caffeine, paraxanthine, theophylline, and Parkinson’s disease incidence. Coffee is the most widely consumed psychoactive beverage in the world.”

They added that understanding the biological effects of caffeine on Parkinson’s disease “not only has important public health implications but may also improve our understanding of the disease's origins and support the development of preventive strategies.”