I haven't seen any studies that show a link between SD and coffee drinking/caffeine consumption.I did however see recently from WeMove a summary of research into possible links between caffeine consumption and Parkinson's Disease, which like SD is another neurological movement disorder. This seems to say that the is a protective effect:
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Quoting from WeMove:
What were the results of the study?
Both men and women who drank at least one cup of coffee every day had a lower risk of developing PD, as compared with people who did not drink coffee. Those who drank five or more cups a day had the lowest risk. Women who drank three or more cups of tea a day also had a lower risk, but those who drank only one or two cups did not have a lower risk than those who did not drink tea. There was no connection between drinking tea and PD in men.
What were the authors' conclusions?
"The biological mechanism behind the association of coffee consumption and PD risk is thus far not clear; however, the caffeine content of coffee is the most possible suggestion from previous investigations. The protective effect of caffeine should be investigated within total caffeine intake in future studies."
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David Barton (AD/SD, North Shore, NZ)
