Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on July 5, 2011 at 5:34am

I think you are very right that there could be environmental factors that help bring the disease on but I don't think this invalidates the study especially because it was done under controlled conditions so that the environmental factors would have been the same for all of the groups. I think the study meaningfully suggests that caffeinated coffee may help fight Alzheimer's disease if only in mice and, from reading your take on the study, I think you actually agree with this.

Permalink Reply by Alice on July 5, 2011 at 5:32pm

Yes, well coffee is an environmental factor - they have the genes and in study aims to discover more about coffee amongst other environmental factors.  Indeed they have found a link.  I would be worth redoing the test again to check it wasn't a random cluster event and they get the same or similar results.  I've heard that using your brain more is meant to be preventative - and coffee seems to do two things, stimulate digestive function and stimulate brain activity - I always become more chatty and out going if I have coffee - it gives me a high - perhaps that feel good factor has a function also.  But it's great that they do studies about it, so that we can quantify benefits and risks.

 

Personally though I think that being tested for genes that are a risk, might just cause additional stress that would tip you over the edge.  Perhaps worth a study on it's own.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page