Coffee is perhaps best known for its stimulant properties, primarily from its caffeine content. Recent research found that caffeine and its metabolites reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than 10 million people worldwide.

The research was part of the EPIC study, a large, prospective cohort that spans six European countries. Researchers looked at how much coffee participants reported drinking and then tracked who developed Parkinson’s. They used statistical models to estimate the risk of developing the disease and analyzed caffeine metabolites in blood samples taken several years before any Parkinson’s diagnosis.

They found that participants who drank the most coffee had a 37 percent lower risk of developing Parkinson’s than non-coffee drinkers. In addition, higher levels of caffeine and its principal metabolites (paraxanthine and theophylline) were associated with a lower risk of Parkinson’s, even after considering other risk factors, such as smoking and alcohol use.

These findings suggest that drinking caffeinated coffee protects against Parkinson’s disease. However, coffee is also rich in other bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, alkaloids, and others – many of which exert potent neuroprotective effects.

While some forms of Parkinson’s disease are genetic, most cases involve a complex interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors. Learn more in this clip featuring Dr. Giselle Petzinger.