Most people, if not all, start their day with a drink of coffee to give them a boost of energy for another day's work However, more and more studies have come out claiming there is more to coffee than just a simple energy boost. Experts say the aromatic black beverage can help prevent diabetes and lower the risk of having liver disease. Now, a new study revealed that coffee also has the ability to reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS).
The study suggests that drinking at least 4 cups of coffee can give you a 30% less chance of having multiple sclerosis. According to Telegraph, two studies were reviewed by a team of researchers from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Maryland's Johns Hopkins University and the University of California in Berkley.
One of the studies that come from Sweden involved 1,620 adults suffering from multiple sclerosis and compared them to a group of 2,788 people without the disease. Another study the researchers looked into was from the United States, comprised of 1,159 people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in comparison with a group of 1,172 healthy individuals.
Basically, people were asked how much coffee they consume and how long they had been drinking it for. The researchers then estimated their intake at and before multiple sclerosis symptoms started to show for those diagnosed with it, and compared it to the other group which included people who didn't have multiple sclerosis.
The results revealed that those who drink fewer cups of coffee had a higher risk for multiple sclerosis even after eliminating other factors like smoking and weight. The more cups of coffee consumed, the lower chance of having multiple sclerosis.
However, there are still no concrete conclusions that can be drawn from the study because it is still under observation phase. And there are more things to consider, aside from the researchers' careful recall of the amount of coffee consumed daily, before ruling out conclusions, medicaldaily.com reported.
But the results can back up certain animal studies of multiple sclerosis, and determine caffeine as a protective agent against neurodegenerative illness like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. "This study provides new evidence that the link between the risk of developing MS and coffee consumption is worth exploring," Dr. Emma Gray from the MS Society said.
