Coffee, Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF), and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Coffee is the second most popular beverage worldwide, after water. This popularity may be due to coffee drinkers believing that it is somewhat beneficial to their health. However, past research has failed to provide convincing evidence about the biological function of coffee. Here, we share our and other's research findings indicating that coffee has some effects against Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease (PD), the two most common neurodegenerative diseases. We have discovered that coffee has more potent health benefits than pure caffeine and decaffeinated coffee in animal studies. Research has also demonstrated that habitual coffee intake can prevent memory decline in a human by promoting the production of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10. However, other molecules in coffee also need caffeine to reduce the production of amyloid-β (Aβ) to reduce stress to immune cells and allow them to produce beneficial cytokines or neural growth factors. Our research examining the impact of coffee on different genotypes of mice also demonstrated that Aβ is the major negative regulation factor of cytokine production. It has been reported that coffee can help PD patients as well. Collectively, coffee can be used as an immune modulator, and the long-term anti-aging and memory protection is through upregulation of G-CSF.