London - Drinking six cups of coffee a day could cut the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, research suggests.
A study of nearly 7 000 people by Swedish and US experts found that their risk of MS dropped by 30 percent if they drank more than 900ml of coffee a day.
MS is the most common disabling neurological condition, with 50 sufferers in Britain diagnosed each week. It causes loss of mobility, sight problems, tiredness and excruciating pain.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and the University of California, Berkeley, examined two studies which tracked patients with and without MS.
In both studies, people were asked about their coffee consumption and how long they had been drinking coffee for.
The results showed that the risk of MS was consistently higher among those who drank fewer cups of coffee, even after taking into account other factors.
In the Swedish study, those who drank more than 900ml every day had a 28 percent to 30 percent lower risk compared with non-coffee drinkers. Similar results were found in the US study.
Experts are not sure why coffee may protect against MS – but they suspect that the caffeine is responsible.
The chemical is known to help protect the nervous system and suppress inflammatory responses in the body.
However, other studies have shown that consuming large amounts of caffeine can raise blood pressure and lead to heart palpitations.
Daily Mail