 |
 |
On 4 Sep 2000, at 21:24, Judith Richards wrote: > Parkinson's May Affect Nerves Outside Brain > By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent > > http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000904/sc/health_parkinsons_dc_1.html > [snip] > All three compounds -- dopamine, norepinephrine and caffeic acid -- are > broken down in the body by an enzyme called COMT. > > "Suppose somebody drank a lot of coffee. That person is taking in a lot > of caffeic acid," Goldstein said, stressing that this theory is > completely unsupported by any scientific studies. > > "This cathecholamine could compete for COMT with ... dopamine and > norepinephrine." Does this mean there is a drug-food interaction between COMT and coffee? Does coffee delay the breakdown of dopamine? Has anyone experienced longer "on" periods while drinking coffee? > That would mean that, instead of getting rid of norepinephrine and > dopamine, COMT could be tied up with the caffeic acid. This > would make more of the two neurotransmitters available in the > body and might explain why coffee could protect against > Parkinson's, Goldstein said. I don't understand the last sentence. What does coffee have to do with neuroprotection? Phil Tompkins Amherst, Massachusetts age 62/dx 1990