Gaby
Coffee invigorates, brings joy, warms the soul, sharpens focus, and connects people. Everyone is familiar with its aroma and taste. Hundreds of modern studies have explored coffee’s health benefits.
A recent study by Danish scientists has revealed that adding a small amount of protein-rich milk to coffee enhances its health benefits.
A team from the University of Copenhagen analyzed how the antioxidants known as polyphenols in coffee interact with amino acids—the building blocks of proteins. They found that when coffee polyphenols bind to amino acids, the resulting compounds fight cellular inflammation more effectively than polyphenols alone, Science Alert reports.
The Magic of Polyphenols and Their Compounds
Scientists care about polyphenols because these antioxidants help fight inflammation. They appear in many foods, including coffee and tea, fruits and vegetables, red wine, and beer. Previous studies show some polyphenols slow the oxidation of beneficial molecules and help regulate inflammation, protecting us from disease.
Inflammation helps protect the body from infection, but if it’s not properly controlled it can contribute to conditions such as type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.
In this new study, the team examined how combining coffee polyphenols with the proteins found in milk affects the body. The results surprised the researchers.
The team focused on chlorogenic acid (CA) and caffeic acid (CGA), two polyphenols found in coffee. These compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The researchers wanted to know whether these polyphenols could influence immune regulation by binding with other molecules, such as the amino acid cysteine (Cys) found in milk proteins. Until recently, scientists had not studied the properties of the compounds formed from these reactions: CA–Cys and CGA–Cys.
Professor Marianne Nissen Lund, the study’s lead author, said coffee polyphenols bind extremely quickly with milk proteins. In the first phase of the experiment, the team observed how the CA–Cys and CGA–Cys compounds affected immune cells. In the second phase, they induced inflammation in immune cells and analyzed how those compounds affected that inflammation.
The study found that CA and CGA inhibit various types of inflammatory reactions. When they combined with cysteine from milk proteins, their anti-inflammatory effect doubled.
In a paper in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the authors say their findings could inform new food products and pharmaceuticals, particularly those aimed at treating metabolic, neurological, or immune disorders.
