Drinking coffee may reduce multiple sclerosis risk (MS), according to new research to be presented at American Academy of Neurology’s 67th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, April 18 to 25, 2015.
“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 lead author Ellen Mowry, MD, MCR, with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
The research team analyzed a Swedish study involving 1,629 people with MS, and 2,807 healthy participants. They also looked at a U.S. study with 1,159 MS patients and 1,172 healthy people.
The two studies compared coffee consumption in people with MS 1 and 5 years before their symptoms started, and compared it to the healthy participants. The studies also factored in body mass index, smoking habits, age, sex, and sun exposure.
The Swedish study showed that those who drank at least six cups of coffee per day during the year when symptoms hadn’t started had one and a half times less risk of developing MS than those who did not drink coffee. Drinking large amounts of coffee 5-10 years before symptoms had similar effects.
In the US study, participants who didn’t drink coffee were also one and a half times more likely to develop MS, compared to those who drank four cups or more per day before symptoms showed.
“Caffeine should be studied for its impact on relapses and long-term disability in MS as well,” said Mowry.
The study showing that coffee may reduce multiple sclerosis risk was published on Newswise.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Can Coffee Reduce Your Risk of MS?” Newswise. American Academy of Neurology, 12 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
