[Skip to content]
There are a number of lifestyle choices and other nutritional substances that appear to be neuroprotective such as coffee drinking, cigarette smoking (obviously within sensible limits and with the obvious health caveats) and ginseng. Further studies need to be conducted to establish the extent of any correlation between consumption of these and the incidence of Parkinson’s. Even so, the following information may provide an insight into the possible neuroprotective factors of some of these products. It is important to remember that any neuroprotective effect may be quite small and it is generally unwise to consume large quantities of a particular item as this can in itself cause health problems.
Caffeine - research1 has shown that coffee drinkers who have a daily intake of caffeine of approximately 100 mg, i.e. the amount you might expect in a cup of espresso or a cappuccino, develop Parkinson’s less frequently.
In studies to induce Parkinson’s in animals, caffeine was seen to protect those to whom the stimulant was administered. Moreover, a study at the Honolulu Heart Program in Hawaii2 found that the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s was five times greater in men who did not drink coffee compared to those who had at least 28 grams of coffee a day. The men who drank the most coffee had the most reduced risk of developing the condition.
Caffeine is also present in other foodstuffs such as green tea, black tea, chocolate and soda and consuming these also appears to have a neuroprotective effect.
Whilst research seems to suggest a link between caffeine and Parkinson’s, it is perhaps premature to suggest that caffeine will prevent the condition and it should be remembered that coffee can cause insomnia and anxiety and may affect blood pressure. It could be that the brains of people who like to drink coffee differ from those who do not and that this difference results in the varied incidence of Parkinson’s in relation to coffee consumption.
Polyphenols - polyphenols are naturally occurring anti-oxidants found, for example, in green tea and tangerines. These chemicals act to improve the flow of dopamine between different parts of the brain and could help reduce the depletion of dopamine-producing cells. Laboratory studies with polyphenols and Parkinson’s have been carried out in mice, but further studies on tea-drinking in humans are required. It should be noted that over-consumption of green tea can interfere with the absorption of iron by the body and may cause stomach upsets so it is recommended to discuss this with your doctor.
whilst we do not endorse or advocate the smoking of cigarettes because of the many health risks associated with it, studies have consistently suggested a link between cigarette smoking and Parkinson’s, leading to theories that smoking - in particular nicotine - may be neuroprotective. In animal studies nicotine has been found to stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain and to preserve neurons and dopamine levels.
One study3 found that former smokers had a 22% lower risk of developing Parkinson's and current smokers had a 73% lower risk compared to those who had never smoked and were thought to have a ‘normal’ risk for developing the condition. In fact, there was found to be a correlation between the risk of developing Parkinson’s and the number of years of smoking, the number of years since stopping smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Whilst smoking does of course have other risks, it does appear to offer neuroprotective properties.
Again, this is an area for ongoing research to ascertain any link between smoking and the incidence of Parkinson’s.
ginseng has been used for centuries as a traditional Chinese herbal remedy and today it is widely thought to possess neuroprotective and neurotrophic properties, which may be useful in preventing the degeneration of dopamine-producing cells.
Many studies are now underway to better understand if and how ginseng can protect against the condition. In Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 2004, neuroscientists fed ginseng to rats in their drinking water and then injected them with a powerful toxin MPP+ known to usually induce Parkinson’s in animals. But unusually the rats did not develop the condition, so the researchers concluded that the ginseng had somehow protected their neurons.
Whilst the results are promising, questions remain as to how ginseng works and scientists are trying to establish which components of ginseng have neuroprotective properties so that more powerful medications can be synthesised.
In China, ginseng has been used for thousands of years in the belief that it slows ageing, prevents disease, eases stress, increases strength and enhances sexual prowess.
Leiden University: Coffee and Parkinson's http://www.eurogates.nl/en_holland_news/id/1247
Association of Coffee and Caffeine Intake With the Risk of Parkinson Diseasehttp://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/283/20/2674
Temporal relationship between cigarette smoking and risk of Parkinson disease http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/10/7644
