Why you may want a second cup of coffee

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Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and many people rely on it to start their day and stay alert.

However, for a long time, there has been a debate about the health benefits and risks of coffee.

A recent review paper by researchers at Texas A&M University sheds new light on the subject, suggesting that coffee may actually have many preventive and therapeutic benefits for human health.

What are the Health Benefits of Coffee?

According to the review paper, coffee consumption has been associated with decreased rates of mortality and decreased rates of neurological and metabolic diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, there is evidence that higher coffee consumption is associated with lower rates of colon and rectal cancer, as well as breast, endometrial and other cancers.

While the specific benefits of coffee consumption may vary with different diseases, the research has shown that coffee contains hundreds of individual compounds that include chlorogenic acid/lignans, alkaloids, polyphenolics, terpenoids, melanoidins, vitamins, and metals.

These compounds have different mechanisms of action that target oxidative stress or induce reactive oxygen species to kill diseased cells.

Mechanisms of Action of Coffee

The mechanisms of action of coffee are complex and dependent on the effects of its constituents, including chlorogenic acids, polyphenolics, terpenoids, alkaloids, and other phytochemicals.

The researchers found evidence that the antioxidant activity of coffee may be an important mechanism of action, which activates the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, or Nrf2.

However, since Nrf2 exhibits both health-protective and drug-resistant activities, other cell context-dependent factors may also be important.

Another mechanism of action of coffee is its activity as an aryl hydrocarbon ligand. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor, AhR, is a transcription factor that regulates gene expression.

The collaborative study also demonstrated that roasted coffee-derived extracts function in part by activating the AhR. In the mouse model, coffee induced several AhR-dependent responses in the intestine.

These included gene expression, inhibition of intestinal stem cell-enriched organoid growth, and inhibition of intestinal barrier damage.

Preventing and Treating Diseases with Coffee

The research from Texas A&M University suggests that coffee consumption may help to prevent or treat certain diseases, such as cancer, by targeting specific protein transcription factors, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, the estrogen receptor, and orphan nuclear receptors NR4A1.

The study also found that some coffee components bind the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1 to the interactions with the AhR receptor.

The NR4A1 receptor is a key factor in multiple diseases, such as arthritis, inflammation, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, and a high NR4A1 expression is associated with breast cancer.

Conclusion

The recent review paper by researchers at Texas A&M University suggests that coffee may have many preventive and therapeutic benefits for human health.

Coffee consumption has been associated with decreased rates of mortality and decreased rates of neurological and metabolic diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Coffee contains hundreds of individual compounds that have different mechanisms of action that target oxidative stress or induce reactive oxygen species to kill diseased cells.

The mechanisms of action of coffee are complex and dependent on the effects of its constituents, including chlorogenic acids, polyphenolics, terpenoids, alkaloids, and other phytochemicals.

The researchers suggest that clinical applications of coffee extracts, particularly for treating some cancers, should be considered.

While the research on the human health benefits of coffee was performed using preclinical models, the mechanistic findings will support future translational studies in humans.

If you care about nutrition, please read studies about how Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and this plant nutrient could help reduce high blood pressure.

For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.

The study was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

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