Six cups of coffee a day keeps multiple sclerosis away

A recent research, comprising of two studies, suggests that consuming over 900 ml or around 6 cups of coffee a day may lower the risk of multiple sclerosis, adding one more perk to the growing list of benefits associated with the beverage.

The two studies - one conducted in Sweden and the other in the U.S. - quizzed participants about their coffee drinking habits right from when they were aged 15-19 until they were at 40-plus. The participants included healthy adults and those with multiple sclerosis.

Using the data, the researchers estimated the coffee consumption at and before the start of multiple sclerosis symptoms and compared this tally with that in the healthy groups.

In both studies, it was found that those drinking fewer cups of coffee every day had a higher risk of multiple sclerosis, even after accounting for other potentially related factors.

In the Swedish study, drinking more than six cups (900 ml +) every day was associated with 28-30% lower risk of multiple sclerosis. In the U.S study, the risk was lowered by 26-31% among those drinking more than 948 ml daily.

The higher the quantity of coffee drunk, the lower the risk of multiple sclerosis, and the scientists attribute this link to the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of caffeine that is present in coffee.

There is about 60 to 100mg of caffeine in a 150ml sized cup of instant Coffee, 40 to 90mg in espresso Coffee and 3 mg in decaffeinated Coffee, according to the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University New South Wales.

However, given the limitations of the two studies, the scientists conclude that more research is needed to establish a link between coffee consumption and multiple sclerosis as well as to understand the mechanisms that underlie the relationship.

The research findings are published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

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