In many of my earlier Parking Suns posts (e.g., click!) I reported on research that lauded coffee as a means of slowing Parkinson’s progression. For example, the University of Maryland website states that “coffee and caffeine may lower the risk and progression of Parkinson’s.”
However, a recent article in Medical News Today summarizes new research from Canada on caffeine’s effect on Parkinson’s. The researchers studied 121 adults with PD, average age 62. Half were given caffeine comparable to three cups of coffee every day; the other half consumed a placebo. They were tracked from 6 to 18 months.
The results? Cue the sad trombones:
Upon assessing the movement symptoms and quality of life of the participants, the researchers were unable to identify any differences between subjects who took caffeine and those who took the placebo.
I still love my coffee, however. I cold brew it overnight and it gets me up and out the door every morning. At least I feel great.
I’m still going to drink it…and wait to see if future research reverses the Canadian study’s conclusion.
I’m not going to give up my morning cup of coffee, either! If we wait long enough, another study will probably reverse these findings anyway! 😉