(ORDO NEWS) — A small amount of milk can enhance the anti-inflammatory effects of coffee. “Milk” proteins bind to “coffee” polyphenols, increasing their antioxidant effect and reducing inflammation.
The effects of coffee on the body are complex, varied, and actively researched. Scientists have already dispelled some of the common myths associated with coffee consumption by showing that it does not increase the risk of developing arrhythmias , nor work productivity.
And scientists from the University of Copenhagen became interested in the influence of milk on some of the beneficial properties of the drink. Their papers (1,2) have been published in Food Chemistry and Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Marianne Lund and her colleagues began studying polyphenols , a broad class of compounds that include many plant pigments and biologically active substances.
They are also used in the food industry as natural dyes and preservatives. Polyphenols are also beneficial for humans: their antioxidant effect reduces inflammation.
Polyphenols are found in many foods, including coffee. These include caffeic acid (CA) and its derivatives, including chlorogenic acid (CGA).
For starters, they have been shown to easily interact with the amino acid residues of cysteine (Cys), which are rich in milk proteins, forming CA-Cys and CGA-Cys complexes.
However, the biological effect of these compounds has not yet been studied. This work was carried out by the team of Marianna Lund.
In the next series of experiments, the researchers looked at the effect of CA-Cys and CGA-Cys on the behavior of immune cells.
In a cell culture of macrophages, which was grown in vitro, “in vitro”, scientists artificially caused inflammation, after which they were treated with either polyphenols or their complexes with proteins.
Experiments have shown that the anti-inflammatory effect of the complexes is twice as high as that of the polyphenols themselves.
The authors of the work emphasize that these effects are certainly not limited to one coffee with milk.
Fruits and many other foods are rich in polyphenols, and when milk is added to them, similar complexes should form. However, their positive effect has so far been demonstrated only on cells.
It has yet to be shown on animals and people. Nevertheless, Lund and her colleagues are confident that there will be no problems with the evidence.
“Polyphenols are poorly absorbed by the body, ” the scientist said, “so encapsulation in protein structures can enhance their entry into the body.”
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