Coffee And Antioxidants - Everything You Need To Know

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Video: Coffee And Antioxidants - Everything You Need To Know

Video: Coffee And Antioxidants - Everything You Need To Know
Video: Everything you've ever wanted to know about coffee | Chandler Graf | TEDxACU 2024, September
Coffee And Antioxidants - Everything You Need To Know
Coffee And Antioxidants - Everything You Need To Know
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Opinions about coffee vary considerably - some consider it healthy and energizing, while others find it addictive and harmful. Still, if the evidence is taken into account, most research focused on coffee and health finds it useful.

Many of the positive effects of coffee due to its impressive content of powerful antioxidants. Studies even prove that coffee is one of the biggest sources of antioxidants.

In this article we will try to reveal to you everything you need to know about the antioxidant content of coffee.

Coffee contains many powerful antioxidants

The body is under constant attack from so-called free radicals, which can damage vital molecules such as proteins and DNA. Antioxidants can effectively beat free radicals, thus slowing down aging and many other diseases, including cancer, which are partly caused by oxidative stress.

Coffee is especially rich in antioxidants such as hydrocinnamic acids and polyphenols. Hydrocinnamic acids are very effective in neutralizing free radicals and preventing oxidative stress, while polyphenols can help prevent a number of heart diseases, cancer and type 2 diabetes.

The largest dietary source of antioxidants

Most people consume about 1-2 grams of antioxidants a day - mainly from drinks such as coffee and tea. Drinks are a much bigger source of antioxidants than food.

In fact, 79% of the antioxidants in a healthy diet come from beverages, while only 21% are from food. This is because people tend to consume more drinks rich in antioxidants than foods.

In a recent study, researchers looked at the different antioxidant content of different foods according to portion size. Coffee is ranked 11th after several types of berries.

antioxidants in coffee
antioxidants in coffee

However, because many people eat less berries than they drink, the total amount of antioxidants provided by coffee far exceeds that of berries - although fruits may contain more antioxidants per serving.

Norwegian and Finnish studies have identified coffee as the largest source of antioxidants, providing about 64% of total antioxidant intake. In these studies, the average coffee intake was 450-600 ml per day (2-4 cups). In addition, studies from Spain, Japan, Poland and France have concluded that coffee is the largest dietary source of antioxidants.

Coffee reduces the risk of various diseases

Coffee consumers have a 23-50% lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Each cup of coffee a day reduces the risk by 7%. Coffee is also very good for the liver, so coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of liver cirrhosis.

In addition, coffee may reduce the risk of liver cancer and colorectal cancer, and several studies have noted a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. Regular coffee drinking can also reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by 32-65%.

Some research shows that coffee can have a positive effect and on mental health. Women who drink coffee are less likely to become depressed. And especially drinking coffee is associated with a longer life and up to 20-30% lower risk of premature death.

However, keep in mind that most of these studies are observational. They cannot prove that coffee has reduced the risk of disease, but only that coffee drinkers are less likely to get these diseases.

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