Substances in Coffee May Protect Against Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies, a New Animal Study Suggests

Two substances from coffee, acting together, may protect against nerve cell damage and improve behavior in animal models of Parkinson’s disease and a related disease called dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), according to a new study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The study, conducted by researchers from the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and cooperating institutions, was published in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Coffee consumption is linked with reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease, and caffeine is generally believed to be the protective agent. However, several lines of evidence suggest that other components of coffee may also play a role.

In this study, two coffee components, eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide (EHT) and caffeine, were evaluated separately and together in mouse models of Parkinson’s disease and DLB. Both diseases are associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These abnormal deposits affect chemicals in the brain, causing changes that impair thinking and movement.