Another Coffee Perk?
Another Coffee Perk? Reduced Risk of MS
Shawntell Jones
Article Summary
A study was conducted at The Karolinska Institute in Sweden in 2015 that showed
a link in the amount of coffee a person consumed, and a decrease in their risk for
developing MS. MS, multiple sclerosis, is a disease in which your body’s own immune
system begins to fight off and eat away at its protective coverings around your nerves.
This leads to nerve damage and it disrupts the communication between the brain
and the body.
The study included two control groups of 2,779 participants with MS and 3,960
participants without MS. After asking the participants about their coffee consumption,
it was found that of those that drank coffee regularly, they were 1/3 less likely to
develop MS. Of those with the highest coffee consumption, their risk for developing
MS was 29% lower than the participants that claimed to have no coffee consumption.
It is predicted that the caffeine provides an extra protective effect on the brain and
spinal cords nerves, reducing the risk for MS. It was also found that coffee
consumption is linked to a decrease in your risk for heart attack, decreased risk for
melanoma, and an increase in liver health.
Citation
G, B. S. (2016, March 03). Another Coffee Perk? Reduced Risk of MS. Retrieved April 07, 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/53935-coffee-multiple-sclerosis-risk.html
Article Critique
As much as I love coffee, and as much as I wish this article were true, I have a hard time
believing it is reliable. In the article is states that there were mixed results when the
study was repeated and re-conducting, with fluctuations in whether there was a link or
not. Also, from what I know about MS, it develops very slowly and you may develop it at a
very young age, before the age you begin consuming coffee, and you do not show
signs or symptoms and are not diagnosed until much later. As a college student I
consume my fair share of coffee, and as much as I’d like it to reduce my risk for MS I
do not believe it will. And as far as coffee being linked to a decrease risk for heart
attack and improved liver function, I also find that hard to believe. Caffeine and sugar
lead to plaque buildup with actually increases your risk for heart disease, heart
attack, and stroke.
The article is well written but it lacks a lot of scientific evidence to support and prove
their point. There is not a specific list of questions they asked their participants and
there is no actual scientific evidence proving that caffeine acts a a protective barrier
around nerve endings. The article also does not come from a .gov or .edu source,
therefore may not be reliable.