January 30, 2023 – A cup of coffee with milk may do greater than put you in a superb mood every morning. The combination may very well reduce inflammation, say researchers on the University of Copenhagen.
Scientists got here to this conclusion by studying within the laboratory how naturally occurring antioxidants – so-called polyphenols – react when mixed with amino acids, the constructing blocks of proteins. Polyphenols are present in various vegetables and fruit, tea, coffee, wine and beer.
In the study, the researchers artificially inflamed immune cells after which administered a mix of polyphenols and amino acids, either just polyphenols or nothing in any respect. The combination of polyphenols and amino acids was twice as effective at fighting inflammation within the cells as polyphenol alone. The Results have been published within the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
“In the study, we show that a polyphenol, when it reacts with an amino acid, has an additional inhibitory effect on inflammation in immune cells. It is therefore logical to imagine that this cocktail could also have a positive effect on inflammation in humans,” said Marianne Nissen Lund, a professor on the university's Institute of Food Science, who led the study.
Other studies have found that polyphenols bind to proteins in some foods and beverages, Press release from the university.
“Our results show that the reaction between polyphenols and proteins also occurs in some of the coffee drinks with milk that we studied,” said Lund.
Coffee beans are stuffed with polyphenols and milk is wealthy in protein, the press release said. The same response between polyphenols and amino acids in a meat dish with vegetables or a smoothie could occur if a protein equivalent to milk or yogurt was used, Lund said.
Lund said the university hopes to receive funding to check the health effects on humans.