Add This to Your Coffee to Boost Your Longevity
Vincent E. Cording Longevity Mentor and Author
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Introduction
This article reviews a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that investigated the health benefits of adding milk to coffee, specifically its effects on inflammation and diseases associated with aging.
The Popularity and Benefits of Coffee
Coffee is the most widely consumed beverage worldwide, as an avid drinker myself I contribute to the more than 400 billion cups that are consumed each, and every year. Indeed, more than 450 million cups consumed daily in the United States alone. This immense popularity is not just due to coffee’s delightful aroma and taste; it also provides a boost in focus and serves as a social catalyst, bringing people together.
Health Benefits Beyond Aroma
Scientific research has demonstrated that the aroma of coffee alone can enhance alertness. Moreover, coffee offers several health benefits. It is a rich source of inflammation-fighting antioxidants and drinking it before exercise has been shown to enhance fat-burning.
New Research on Coffee and Milk
A recent study suggests that adding a small amount of milk, which contains protein, can amplify the health benefits of coffee. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark examined the interaction between polyphenols, which are antioxidants, and amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Their findings indicated that the combination of these compounds has twice the effect on combating cellular inflammation compared to polyphenols alone.
Understanding Polyphenols
Polyphenols, found in foods such as coffee, tea, fruits, vegetables, red wine, and beer, are known for their antioxidant properties. Previous studies have shown that polyphenols can slow or prevent the oxidation of healthy chemicals, thereby protecting the body from various diseases. Polyphenols help regulate inflammation, an immune response involving macrophages, which are cells that release several inflammatory mediators. While inflammation helps protect against infection, uncontrolled inflammation can lead to chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease.
Key Polyphenols: Caffeic and Chlorogenic Acids
Caffeic Acid (CA) and Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) are polyphenols recognized for their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The researchers aimed to determine whether the reactions of these polyphenols with other chemicals could further influence immune regulation.
The Formation of Adducts
Adducts are compounds formed when two or more molecules combine. In this study, the amino acid cysteine (Cys), found in milk, was combined with Caffeic Acid (CA) and Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) from coffee to create the adducts CA–Cys and CGA–Cys. Previous research by the same authors confirmed that polyphenols bind to proteins in coffee with added milk.
Professor Marianne Nissen Lund from the University of Copenhagen, a co-author of both studies, stated, "Our result demonstrates that the reaction between polyphenols and proteins also happens in some of the coffee drinks with milk that we studied. In fact, the reaction happens so quickly that it has been difficult to avoid in any of the foods that we've studied so far."
Study Methods and Testing
The researchers used RNA sequencing to analyze the immune-regulating effects of CA–Cys and CGA–Cys in macrophage cells exposed to artificial inflammation. Macrophages are a type of white blood cell crucial to the human immune system, performing functions such as engulfing and digesting microorganisms. The effects of Caffeic Acid and Chlorogenic Acid were also tested in isolation and compared to a control group of macrophages not exposed to the polyphenols or the Cys adducts.
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Key Findings
As anticipated, CA and CGA polyphenols suppressed inflammatory responses, notably the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and the cytokines Interleukin-6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF). However, when these polyphenols were combined with cysteine amino acids found in milk proteins, their anti-inflammatory effects were significantly enhanced.
Contradictory Results
While macrophage cells exposed to polyphenols alone exhibited more than 2.5 times the Tumor Necrosis Factor activity compared to those exposed to the polyphenol-cysteine adduct, there was an unexpected increase in Reactive Oxygen Species when the polyphenol-amino acid combination was present. This result contrasted with the effect observed when polyphenols were tested alone.
Professor Andrew Williams of the University of Copenhagen and the study's senior author noted, "It is interesting to have now observed the anti-inflammatory effect in cell experiments. And obviously, this has only made us more interested in understanding these health effects in greater detail. So, the next step will be to study the effects in animals."
Implications for Future Research
Further research is essential to understand these findings and their practical implications for human health. This study only explored how a specific type of immune mediator responds to coffee-like compounds in a controlled laboratory setting.
The researchers—Andrew R. Williams, Marianne N. Lund, Jingyuan Liu, Mahesha M. Poojary, and Ling Zhu—conclude in their paper, "Our results can be used as an important reference in applications of adducts formed from phenolic compounds and amino acids in future functional food or medicinal products that aim to modulate metabolic, neurological, or immune-related diseases." This study paves the way for future exploration into the potential health benefits of coffee when combined with milk proteins.
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