Link between Coffee and Multiple Sclerosis in Recent Study

There was a recent study conducted by researchers from Stockholm, Maryland and California, Berkeley, that revealed that drinking more than 900mls of coffee a day may cut the risk of suffering from Multiple Sclerosis by 30%. If you are wondering how much that is and may feel overwhelmed as well, don't worry. It is basically the same as 6 small cps or 2 large sized coffee that can be ordered in coffee shops and cafes.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a common neurological condition. It affects people who are young--those who are in their 20s - 30s. Approximately 50 people is diagnosed each week in Britain alone. At the moment, there is an estimated 100,000 people who are suffering from the disease. It seems that the disease also affects more women than men.

MS is characterised by sight problems, loss of mobility, the feeling of tiredness and excruciating pain.

There is reportedly a chemical found in coffee that has neuroprotective properties. Aside from that, this chemical has also been shown to suppress inflammatory responses in the body.

Researchers in three locations – the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, John Hopkins University in Maryland and the University of California, Berkeley, analysed data from two studies which tracked people with and without Multiple Sclerosis. The study in Sweden involved 1,620 adults with Multiple Sclerosis and compared them to a group of 2,788 without it. The second study carried out in the US looked into 1,159 people with Multiple Sclerosis and 1,172 who were healthy.

The researchers asked their participants about their daily coffee intake and how long it has been since they have started to drink coffee. They were able to measure their results by asking their participants about their coffee habits before at and before the onset of the MS symptoms.

A recent study amongst nearly 7,000 people has revealed that drinking more than 900mls of coffee a day may cut the risk of suffering from Multiple Sclerosis by 30%. That volume can be achieved in six small cups. This may seem like a lot, but it is the equivalent to just two large sized cups of coffee, which are usually served in high street coffee shops and cafes.

The results showed that the risk of suffering from Multiple Sclerosis was consistently higher among people who drank fewer cups of coffee every day in both studies, even after taking into account other factors that might influence or skew the results. The Study in Sweden discovered that drinking coffee daily was linked to a lower risk of Multiple Sclerosis both at the beginning of the symptoms and five and ten years beforehand. Amongst those who drank more than 900mls a day there was a 28% to 30% lower risk compared with non-coffee drinkers. Similar results were revealed in the US study with a 26% to 31% lower risk among those drinking 948mls daily at least five years beforehand and at the start of the symptoms.

However, all research bodies concluded that this was just an observational study and that no firm conclusions could be drawn about cause and effect.