Diet and beverage choices have a huge impact on our health. A new study has found a link between coffee consumption and Parkinson’s disease. The study of 184,024 people over 13 years found that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than non-coffee drinkers.

A new study suggests that coffee consumption may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease

The study, conducted by an international team of researchers, analyzed hundreds of people with Parkinson’s disease and showed that levels of paraxanthine and theophylline, the main metabolites of caffeine, had a reducing effect on Parkinson’s risk.

“This study showed an inverse association between caffeinated coffee consumption and Parkinson’s disease risk in one of the largest longitudinal cohorts followed for more than 20 years,” the researchers explained.

Previous research has also found a link between coffee and Parkinson’s, but this study goes further by focusing on biomarkers of caffeine intake.

People in the top 25 percent of coffee consumption were 40 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those who drank no coffee at all. Across the study, the risk reduction among coffee drinkers ranged from 5 to 63 percent, depending on the country.

Although this association persists even when factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption are taken into account, it is not enough to prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. However, caffeine and its components appear to have a protective effect on the brain.

Based on previous research, it is thought that the way caffeine maintains the flow of dopamine in the brain may be the cause of these effects. Parkinson’s disease is known for the reduction of dopamine in the brain due to the loss of nerve cells in an area called the substantia nigra.

“These neuroprotective effects are consistent with our findings, which revealed an inverse association between caffeine, paraxanthine and theophylline and the incidence of Parkinson’s disease,” the researchers write in the research paper.

Given caffeine’s effect on neurons, it is not surprising that there is an association with neurodegenerative diseases. However, it is difficult to fully understand this relationship as we still don’t have a precise understanding of how Parkinson’s starts in the brain.

Important work is underway to identify the triggers of Parkinson’s disease, the factors that influence our risk of the disease and how it can be stopped. In the US alone, about one million people are living with Parkinson’s disease, which causes problems with tremors, normal movement, balance and limb stiffness.

“Coffee is the most widely consumed psychoactive beverage worldwide. Unraveling the biological effects of caffeine on Parkinson’s disease not only has important public health implications, but also promotes our understanding of the etiology of Parkinson’s disease and possible prevention strategies,” the researchers conclude.

So, if you consume coffee, keep consuming it, if not, consume it. What do you think? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.