About 120,000 people in the UK have Parkinson's, about 1 in 500 of the population. It mainly affects older people and 1 in 100 people over the age of 65 suffer from the disease with 10,000 new cases reported each year.

Epidemiological studies (statistical studies of disease in people) have showed a link between how much coffee people drink and the development of Parkinson's disease. Now scientists, working with a mouse model of Parkinson's disease have shown that caffeine is able to prevent the loss of the chemical signal that is reduced in Parkinson's.

Mice had their ability to produce brain dopamine reduced. The lack of dopamine gives rise to the symptoms of Parkinson's. However when these mice were pre-treated with caffeine equivalent to one or two cups of coffee per day their brain dopamine levels remained near normal.