2008
Could Coffee Be the Saving Grace for Multiple Sclerosis
Could that morning pot of gold prevent Multiple Sclerosis (MS)? While many experts recommend limiting caffeine because of possible negative effects on diabetes and some other medical conditions, a recent study has shown coffee to have warded off the animal form of MS.
The new study involved mice that were given a shot to force the mice to develop a condition like MS in humans. However, those that were given the equivalent to 6 to 8 cups of coffee a day avoided developing the animal form of MS, called EAE or experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, stated Dr. Linda Thompson, a member of the team reporting the findings in the National Academy of Sciences.
During the study, researchers monitored the progress of mice that would normally have developed EAE. Thompson explained that the caffeine prevented one of the four building blocks of DNA, known as adenosine, from binding to the adenosine receptor in the mice. Because adenosine wasn’t able to bind to the receptor, it prevented the white blood cells known as T cells, from reaching the central nervous system and starting the domino effect that leads to EAE.