Heavy coffee drinkers may have a lower risk of developing Parkinson's Disease, a new study has found.
Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden discovered a specific genetic variation appears to offer protection against Parkinson's — especially for those who drink a lot of coffee.
The findings, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLOS One, are based on an analysis of Parkinson's patients from two counties in southeast Sweden. The researchers examined a combination of caffeine consumption and a particular variation in a gene known as GRIN2A.
The findings show that individuals with this combination run a significantly lower risk of developing the disease,
Medical Xpress reports.
The researchers noted genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors often interact with one another in the emergence of diseases, and research is often focused on identifying genes and exposures that increase the risk for contracting diseases.
But, as the new study suggests, there are also genetic variations and environmental factors that can offer protection against the emergence of certain diseases.
The researchers believe caffeine may interact with a dopamine receptor in the brain, which is believed to be linked with Parkinson's.
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