Washington: Scientists have identified a compound in coffee that could be teamed up with caffeine to fight Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia -- two currently incurable neurodegenerative disorders. The discovery, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests these two compounds combined may become a therapeutic option to slow brain degeneration.

Prior research has shown that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. While caffeine has traditionally been credited as coffee's special protective agent, coffee beans contain more than a thousand other compounds that are less well known.