Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists . Researchers studied more than 8,000 Japanese-American men over a period of 30 years, and found that those who drank more than three cups of coffee a day had five times less chance of developing the disease. Parkinson's is a degenerative disorder that destroys the cells in the brain that make the chemical dopamine. It damages the central nervous system, causing tremors and erratic body movements.
Some patients also develop dementia.
About 1 million Americans have Parkinson's. Attorney General Janet Reno, actor Michael J. Fox and boxer Muhammad Ali are among those affected. Although not scientifically proven, one conclusion of the study is that the caffeine in coffee may have a protective effect on the brain. There are transmitters like glutamate which act on receptors in the brain and can actually kill other neurons under some circumstances. So if you could reduce the release of those transmitters, you can protect the brain.