We all know that coffee is a natural pick-me-up, due to its caffeine content. However did you know that your daily cuppa is also full of other health benefits?
“When people think of coffee, they often associate the beverage with caffeine,” says Dr Sampath Parthasarathy. “However, coffee beans have many other chemicals that could help fight chronic inflammatory diseases.”
Dr Parthasarathy is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medicinal Food, which has just published a new study on coffee beans.
The study found that coffee beans are full of healthy compounds including chlorogenic acid, which is linked to protective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Coffee has higher concentrations of chlorogencic acid than any other plant, making it a great source.
The research also found that the type of coffee can make a big difference in accessing the health benefits, particularly as to how roasted the beans are. Scientists found that the level of chlorogenic acid dropped off as the beans were more roasted, finding that the darker roasted beans had less antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
