Coffee is a huge part of the American lifestyle, and has lately been the subject of exciting health research. Scientists are just beginning to understand the health benefits of coffee.
New research from Monash University shows that coffee acts as an antioxidant.
The research team from Monash first observed the behavior of free radicals in the coffee brewing process. Free radicals are unstable molecules that are believed to be a major cause of serious diseases, including cancer. The team found that coffee acts as an antioxidant and stabilizes free radicals.
The researchers believe that this study will lead to a better understanding of the brewing process and the health benefits of coffee.
Chief Chemist of Illycaffè, Dr. Luciano Navarini, worked with Monash physicist Dr. Gordon Troup, School of Physics and Astronomy and his team using state-of-the-art EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance) Spectroscopy.
“Dr. Troup was one of the first scientists to discover free radicals in coffee in 1988 and so it made sense for Illycaffè — a … coffee roasting company actively involved in coffee research — to collaborate with Dr. Troup and his team on this significant piece of research into free radical and antioxidant behaviour in coffee,” Dr. Navarini said.
“The most important aim of this research was to better understand the development of stable free radicals during the roasting process and the possible influence exerted by developed radicals on the well-documented coffee antioxidant properties. We also wanted to evidence possible coffee constituents as a source of antioxidant activity.”
Dr. Troup worked with a team including alumnus Dr. Simon Drew from the University of Melbourne, who conducted the spectroscopy.
“Our research studied both the Arabica coffee bean itself and what happens to its stable free radical and antioxidant properties during the brewing process,” Dr. Troup said.
“The findings provide a better understanding of the potential health benefits of coffee, as well as a deeper knowledge of the roasting process — ultimately leading to the highest quality cup of coffee,” Troup added.
The study showing that coffee acts as an antioxidant was published in the journal PLOS One.
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REFERENCES:
1. “New Research into Health Benefits of Coffee.” Monash University. Monash University, 30 Apr. 2015. Web. 11 May 2015.
2. “Stable Radical Content and Anti-Radical Activity of Roasted Arabica Coffee: From In-Tact Bean to Coffee Brew.” PLOS One. PLOS One, 9 Apr. 2015. Web. 11 May 2015.
