Coffee May Help Treat Parkinson's Disease

Drinking too much coffee can give the average Joe the jitters, but scientists say caffeine may have the opposite effect on people with Parkinson's disease.

The Canadian study found that drinking between two and four cups of coffee a day can help control tremors, opening the door to new treatment options for the progressive neurodegenerative condition that affects more than 10,000 Kiwis.

Symptoms can include tremors, stiffness of muscles, depression, disturbance of normal sleep, fatigue and lack of sense of smell.

Parkinson's New Zealand chief executive Deirdre O'Sullivan said she was excited by the research but expressed caution at the small scale of the study.

The effect of caffeine on the healthy human brain was widely known but she had not heard any research into its effects regarding Parkinson's, she said.

Coffee could also lead to negative effects, so she said it was probably not wise for those suffering from the disease to dramatically increase their intake until more research had been done.

The study was one of the first in humans to show that caffeine can help with movement impairment in people who had the disease, said study author Ronald Postuma, of McGill University in Montreal.

Previous studies have found that people who drink caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson's.

Sixty-one sufferers - whose symptoms included daytime sleepiness and some motor symptoms - were given either a caffeine supplement or placebo pill.

Members of the caffeine group were given 100 milligrams of caffeine twice a day for three weeks, then 200 milligrams twice a day for three weeks, which is the equivalent of between two and four cups of coffee a day.

After six weeks, the half that took the caffeine supplement experienced an improvement in their motor symptoms compared with the placebo group, Dr Postuma said.

"This was due to improvement in speed of movement and a reduction in stiffness."

Caffeine had borderline effects on sleepiness, and did not affect depression or night-time sleep quality in the study participants.

Dr Postuma said larger-scale studies need to be carried out over a longer period to clarify the caffeine-related improvements.

"Caffeine should be explored as a treatment option for Parkinson's disease. It may be useful as a supplement to medication and could therefore help reduce patient dosages."

The study was published yesterday in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The Popularity of Coffee

Coffee is one of those things that has become part of our every day lives and is all around us all the time. Coffee has become just as much part of everyone's day just like brushing your teeth. People enjoy coffee around the world from morning till night ans has become one of the most popular things in the world. Why is coffee so popular? You may be thinking that is like a simple question, and the answer to that would be, yes it is. But why is coffee so popular?

Well, there are many reasons for this actually. Besides coffee being one of the things that is a normal part of endless peoples' mornings, coffee also provides a comfort. If you ask most people who have coffee in the morning if they have more coffee later in the day, the answer most likely will be yes. However, a lot of the time the reason that people will have coffee later in the day will be for different reasons than when they had it in the morning. For many people, coffee later in the day is more of comfort and is part of their evening after dinner relaxation routine.

However, coffee is much more than a morning or evening drink. Coffee for some time now has been something that people enjoy going out for and that is why there have been so many coffee houses around the world that have become so popular. Depending on where you live, there can be coffee houses and coffee shops on every block and sometimes there are more than one on the same street. That is how popular coffee has become. People enjoy meeting for a coffee just as much now as the popular "happy hour" that started some time back.

An additional reason for the popularity of coffee is that it is something that can be enjoyed by pretty much everyone. It is not a costly item or something that can only be enjoyed by select individuals. This is a simple pleasure that can be enjoyed by the masses and is something that can bring friends and family together for conversation. Because coffee is enjoyed now by so many different age brackets and different demographics of people, there are now so many different styles, flavors, and brews of coffees. Even fast food restaurants have joined in to provide their customers with the popular coffee drinks that everyone enjoys.

So what are all of those different popular coffee drinks that we have today? Well for starters lets begin with your regular coffees. You have the option of light or dark roast, french roast, house blend, breakfast blend and those are just to name a few. You could alternate between just regular coffees everyday of the week and never have the same kind, and actually much longer than that. You can also get regular or decaffeinated. From there you can move on to espresso, cappuccino, and lattes. This would most likely be considered the next most popular forms of coffees. You can get these served in a variety a different way as well making each style a completely different coffee experience.

One more recent style of coffee drinks have included the blended frozen coffees. These are very popular and are even consumed by the younger crowds even more so. They have the flavor of some of the most popular flavored coffees but they are blended with ice to make more of slush. They are usually topped off with whipped cream but sometimes people enjoy the lighter calorie versions and they leave the whipped cream off.

Sometimes people are not in the mood to have a hot beverage but they would still like to have a nice cup of coffee. This is where iced coffees come in. These coffee drinks are very popular as well and they are usually consumed at lunch or in the afternoon for a nice refreshing pick me up beverage. Iced coffees can come in a variety of flavors as well and is sometimes just what you need during the day.

Another popular coffee drink is espresso. Now, a lot of the time there are plenty of coffee drinks that call for a shot of espresso to be added to the drink, but many people like to get a shot or two of espresso to have by itself. There are times when people do not want a full cup of coffee but they would like the flavor and the quick jolt of caffeine that the espresso will provide.

Cappuccinos and lattes are very popular as well and these are the type of coffees that people enjoy when they want something a little more than a plain cup of coffee. These are also the type of coffee drinks that people sometimes enjoy later in the day as a nice pick me up enjoyable beverage.

The coffee styles mentioned are just a few of the different varieties that are available. There are so many different kinds that sometimes people can get a little overwhelmed by all of the option so they never try anything new. Most people will say that the best way to try new things is to do just that, try new things. You have to explore all the different kinds of coffee beverages so you can find the kinds that you like the best. There are going to be those that you like more than others, but that is the fun in trying the different coffees as well.

So where do you begin? One idea is that when you visit your local coffee shop during the week, you can go down the list and try different varieties every time you visit. Keep track of the kinds that you like and those that you do not think that you would enjoy having on a regular basis. If you have a single brew coffee maker at home, you can try a lot of the different styles in the comfort of your home, depending on the style of coffee maker that you have. Some will just brew single cups of regular coffee and others will allow you to make espresso and other favorite coffee drinks.

Anther things you can try, is to see what styles of coffees you family, friends, and co-workers drink. This will give you plenty of options to try and you will know what to order when you go to your favorite coffee house. The employees at the coffee shops can also be very helpful in helping you try different varieties. After all, they deal with all the coffees drinks that people enjoy on a daily basis and can make some recommendations sometimes off of the kinds of drinks that you normally order.

These are just a few reasons why coffee is so popular. There are endless styles and varieties of coffee drinks and there are numerous occasions where people enjoy having their favorite cups of black silk. Morning, afternoon or evening, no mater where you go you will always see people enjoying their favorite coffees. Not to mention, the wonderful aroma that comes along with fresh brewing coffee is simply wonderful and is part of the reason people enjoy coffee as well. There is nothing like, brewing your favorite style of coffee and then taking a moment for yourself and enjoying your cup of coffee to get you through the next part of your day or evening.