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Is it the caffeine in coffee that helps prevent Parkinson's?

Edelisi asked...

I recently read an article on caring.com saying that coffee can reduce your risk of Parkinson's Disease. My question is, is it the caffeine in coffee that is preventive, or some other ingredient? If it's the caffeine, would caffeine in tea or other sources count, too? Would it help if I'm already in early-stage Parkinson's? Thanks!

Expert Answer

Graham A. Glass, MD, is the co-founder of PEAK Neurology and Sleep Medicine, LLC with multiple locations across Alaska. Previously, he was deputy director of the San Francisco Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Care Center PADRECC and assistant clinical professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Glass received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at the San Antonio School of Medicine and completed his neurology residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center. He subsequently completed a fellowship in movement disorders at the Mayo Clinic.

The Parkinson's Disease research community isn't really sure about the answer to the question as to the reason for why coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, although similar reductions in risk have not yet been noted in other caffeinated beverages. Thus, we think that there is more than just the caffeine that results some potential "protective" effect of coffee. To further answer your question, there is no data to support the thought that coffee may slow down the disease progression once someone already has Parkinson's disease.