Maddie Wilhide
Blog 1
Coffee associated with reduced risk of MS
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/03/04/drinking-coffee-associated-with-reduced-risk-ms.html
This article discusses the high association between consuming coffee and reducing the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. The study had large sample groups, which makes it easier to generalize to the whole population. The researchers found that the participants who drank the most amount of coffee, had a lower risk than the participants who did not consume coffee. Based on the study, the researchers theorized that caffeine contains a protecting agent, that reduces the breakdown of the myelin sheath. As we know from class, the myelin sheath is a very important aspect in neural conduction and assists with movement. It is important to mention that this study shows an association, NOT a causal link.
This article is very personal to me because my grandmother has multiple sclerosis and my upon researching about it, I found that MS could be genetic. After seeing how debilitating this disease is, I am always interested in seeing new research that could lead to curing the disease, or preventing it. I find it very interesting how coffee has gone from being a frowned upon beverage, to now, having so many health benefits. Many of the studies that have been conducted with caffeine are mostly all associative and not causal. I think it would be interesting to find studies that show how caffeine effects the body and why it has many health benefits.
Blog 1
Coffee associated with reduced risk of MS
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/03/04/drinking-coffee-associated-with-reduced-risk-ms.html
This article discusses the high association between consuming coffee and reducing the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. The study had large sample groups, which makes it easier to generalize to the whole population. The researchers found that the participants who drank the most amount of coffee, had a lower risk than the participants who did not consume coffee. Based on the study, the researchers theorized that caffeine contains a protecting agent, that reduces the breakdown of the myelin sheath. As we know from class, the myelin sheath is a very important aspect in neural conduction and assists with movement. It is important to mention that this study shows an association, NOT a causal link.
This article is very personal to me because my grandmother has multiple sclerosis and my upon researching about it, I found that MS could be genetic. After seeing how debilitating this disease is, I am always interested in seeing new research that could lead to curing the disease, or preventing it. I find it very interesting how coffee has gone from being a frowned upon beverage, to now, having so many health benefits. Many of the studies that have been conducted with caffeine are mostly all associative and not causal. I think it would be interesting to find studies that show how caffeine effects the body and why it has many health benefits.
I wonder if this protecting agent in caffeine would have the same association with other myelin-depleting diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
ReplyDeleteI found this interesting, and actually gave this to a friend of mine. Their mother has MS. Did they locate which agent is specifically responsible as a protecting agent? I wonder if that agent could have more benefits to other diseases like ALS (like Brittney stated above me) or Central Pontine Myelinolysis (CPM). CPM is where there is damage to the myelin sheath in the brain stem. I look forward to seeing what benefit this brings in the future. It seems like they keep discovering more and more health benefits to coffee.
ReplyDeleteYour blog post caught my interest primarily because I am a big coffee drinker and I am always looking for reasons that I can justify my addiction. I would be interested to see if they do any further research on this subject on model organisms where they can reliably manipulate the levels of coffee consumption. I also wonder if they would find similar results associated with other caffeinated drinks, or if it is something specific to the coffee that reduces a person’s risk of developing MS. If they can uncover the mechanism of how this works it would most likely be very helpful in developing treatments or even a cure for MS. My friend’s sister has MS so her doctor placed her on the Paleo diet so I wonder if something like adding coffee do her daily routine would be helpful in addition to her change in diet.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article I found myself thinking that I should start drinking more coffee. I don't drink coffee a lot but from now on I may need to set aside some money for a morning coffee run. This finding could be very important for people's health because it can lower the risk of developing MS. In doing research in another class, I found that prevalence rates for multiple sclerosis have been increasing and there is over 400,000 people in the U.S. that have been diagnosed with MS. Also, after reading the article I am interested in knowing if older or younger people are have an increased risk and if men or women have an increased risk of being diagnosed. Overall, the article was very fascinating and made me want to learn more.
ReplyDeleteCaffeine is essentially a drug, so one can get addicted to it. I think that because coffee lowers the risk is because the more caffeine a person drinks the more the body needs to function normally. I for one also know that a significant amount of caffeine no matter how much tolerance a person has can make a person shaky. And since that person would be shaking, neurons are constantly at work which would allow for the myelin to constantly be working. It makes sense that caffeine would reduce the risk too because caffeine always allows for movement, it gets the body moving so neurons are constantly firing.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your summary and opinion of this article! I think it is incredibly relatable to both what we have learned in class about MS, and about coffee in general (a common drink among college students, including myself). This seems like a very interesting study; I'm glad you mentioned that this showed an association, not causation. I also find it to be interesting that there has been such a change in the view of coffee. I usually drink at least one cup a day, so I find this kind of research to be useful and relevant to my life. I also liked Brittney's comment, in wondering whether or not coffee could help with the prevention of ALS. My uncle had ALS and it was a brutal and devastating time for he and my family, so any research that discusses the prevention of ALS is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThe subject of whether or not to drink coffee and if caffeine is actually harmful to our health has been quite prevalent recently which is why it was interesting to read this article. Most of my family drinks coffee multiple times a day so it's shocking for me to find out that it may have a positive health benefit. I wonder what is in the chemical makeup of coffee that is able to protect the myelin sheath. I'm also curious to know what other health benefits are associated with coffee and other caffeine consumption. I am hopeful that more research will continue to be completed on this subject as I do know families who've been devastated by MS/ALS and any step towards preventing or treating these diseases is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am left with one question which is: is coffee the only caffeinated beverage being studied and if so, why aren't others beverages such as tea being taken into consideration?
I have read other articles like this one. Studies from U of Maryland and John Hopkins result that their is information that concludes that coffee drinkers can strengthen their chances that the myelin will not breakdown to enhance chances for the MS disease. Interesting topic
ReplyDelete