(ORDO NEWS) — Coffee has a number of health benefits, but exactly how it affects the body remains unknown.
A new study has identified specific proteins that are affected by caffeine. They help the liver remove bad cholesterol from the bloodstream and protect against cardiovascular diseases!
For a long time, scientists could not solve the “secret” of caffeine
Several large-scale studies have shown that coffee has a positive effect on your health. One study that studied the coffee habits of more than half a million people across Europe over 16 years found that those who consumed the most coffee had significantly lower mortality rates than those who abstained.
Other studies have linked coffee to lower rates of prostate cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease.
However, the observations differ from the very mechanism of how the compounds in coffee affect us. A new study from McMaster University, Canada, has revealed what may be behind caffeine’s ability to prevent cardiovascular disease.
The team found that regular caffeine intake was associated with lower levels of a protein called PCSK9 in the bloodstream.
This protein boosts the liver’s ability to break down LDL (“bad” type) cholesterol, which can block arteries and lead to heart disease.
Not only did caffeine and its derivatives act directly on PCSK9, the researchers found that it also blocked the activation of another protein called SREBP2. This, in turn, also lowers blood levels of PCSK9.
“These results show the underlying mechanism by which caffeine and its derivatives may lower blood levels of PCSK9 and thereby reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Richard Austin, senior author of the study.
“Given that SREBP2 is implicated in a host of cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes and fatty liver disease, mitigating its function has far-reaching implications.”
Of course, preventing the development of heart disease is not so simple. Just drinking coffee is not enough. Moreover, mixing it with cream or sugar (and even a fresh bun in the morning) can negate any positive health effects.
However, the new work adds to a growing body of research that shows that loving coffee can be beneficial.
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