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In addition to brightening our mornings and keeping us going for a long time, we are showing a number of different aspects of health care: For one, its caffeine content is thought to improve alertness and memory in the short-term-but studies Long-term protective effects on the brain, as well.
Drinking coffee has already been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and now scientists have an idea of why. It turns out that phenylindanes-chemical compounds that form during the brewing process-inhibit the growth of proteins associated with degenerative brain diseases. And the darker the roast, they say, the most of these protective compounds are in every cup.
For the new study, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, researchers at the Krembil Brain Institute in Toronto, analyzed the chemical components of three different samples of Starbucks Via instant coffee: light roast, dark roast, and decaffeinated dark roast. Then they are exposed to two types of proteins-amyloid beta and tau-that are known to be hallmarks of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Studies have shown that these conditions progress, these proteins tend to form clumps (known as amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles) in the brain.
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All three coffee extracts prevented the "clumping" of these proteins, suggesting that something in America's favorite morning may be protective against the progression of disease. And because the researchers noticed that it is likely that it's likely not the caffeine that's providing these benefits.
They did, however, notice more inhibitory effects from the two dark roasts compared to the light roast. This article is about phenylindanes-compounds formed from the breakdown of acids during coffee roasting, which are largely responsible for coffee's bitter taste.
Phenylindanes are found in higher concentrations in coffees with longer roasting times, such as dark roasts and espressos. They have been shown to "surprisingly potent antioxidant activity," the authors wrote in their paper, but their ability to interact with amyloid and tau proteins has not previously been reported.
In further lab studies, they found that a phenylindane mixture did indeed prevent disease-related protein clumping; in fact, it was the only compound studied that had an effect on both amyloid and tau proteins. For tau proteins, it displays more potent levels of inhibition than any other compound investigated.
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The effects of protein inhibition versus the light roast, the authors proposed that it is the phenylindane component of coffee that is "largely responsible" for this effect. (And good news for decaf drinkers: Because the decaffeinating process happens before the roasting process, the authors assume that it has no effect on phenylindane levels.)
That does not necessarily mean that everyone should drink espresso or roasting their coffee beans extra dark, however. Donald Weaver, MD, co-director of the Krembil Brain Institute, is one of the world's leading thinkers. (More, other research has suggested that lighter roasts have higher levels of different beneficial compounds, so it can be used for overall health.)
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He said that he hoped that this study would lead to further study of phenylindanes, and possibly even to the development of drugs that could be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases. He also said that it is a good place to have a good coffee, if it is not enough.
"What this study does is take the epidemiological evidence and try to refine it and to demonstrate that it is beneficial to warding off cognitive decline," said Weaver. "It's interesting, but are we suggesting that coffee is a cure? Absolutely not. "
Experts say that the best way to age-proof your brain is to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep. And if it turns out to be a day in the day, we're definitely going for it.
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