Coffee May Promote Brain Health, According to New Research

Your morning cup of coffee might be working to preserve and promote your brain’s overall health, according to new research conducted by the Krembil Brain Institute in Toronto.

While the health factors of coffee have been disputed for centuries (in some cases even resulting in bans), recent developments have been showing a consistently beneficial profile for moderate consumption of the beverage. Of course, the presence of caffeine remains the most widely-appreciated feature of this complex liquid, but coffee might be doing a whole lot more to keep your grey matter in check.

Research published in 2010 by the Institute of Clinical Medicine at University of Eastern Finland showed that consumption of caffeine, and by association, coffee, can correlate with a lowered risk of developing certain neurological diseases. Degenerative diseases like Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s were named specifically as examples of such diseases significantly affected by caffeine consumption. The Krembil Brain Institute team, inspired by the 2010 study, sought to test further to identify the key compounds effective in reducing the potential development of cognitive degeneration.

The team, lead by Dr. Donald Weaver, tested coffees resulting from three types of roasted beans. Dark roasts (with caffeine), light roasts (with caffeine), and dark roasts (without caffeine) were evaluated in an attempt to identify and study the compounds, caffeine included, released during the roasting process. The researchers focused tightly on how these compounds affected the proteins specifically associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition to the previously-discovered neurological protection provided by coffee compounds (which discourage the formation of the misrouted brain networks common in Alzheimer’s patients), a set of compounds released during roasting was found to be responsible for the prevention of neurological degeneration: phenylindanes. Phenylindanes, coincidentally, are the same substances from which coffee gets the bitterness that humans have been positively conditioned to enjoy.
Phenylindanes
From: Compound Interest

Furthermore, it’s not just the caffeinated variations that provide this protection. The decaffeinated samples proved to contain equally abundant amounts of phenylindanes as their caffeine-rich counterparts. Dark roasted coffee boasts the most significant presence of phenylindanes across all samples, indicating that lighter roasts offer less beneficial effects.

As this study was conducted in a lab setting void of human subjects, Dr. Weaver et. al determined that additional research will be required to test the interactions between phenylindanes and degenerative cells within an active, living brain. Despite not yet having data from human trials, the results of this research may be key in the development of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and disorders.

The Krembil team noted that coffee is not to be considered a cure for neurological diseases like Alzheimer's or Dementia. Future research will need to test the specific benefits of the compounds as well as how capable they are of effectively reaching the brain.

- Griffin Thomas
Marketing & Communications Manager
Fortuna Enterprises, LLC

Sources:
1. Mancini RS, Wang Y and Weaver DF (2018) Phenylindanes in Brewed Coffee Inhibit Amyloid-Beta and Tau Aggregation. Front. Neurosci. 12:735. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00735
2. Eskelinen, Marjo H., and Miia Kivipelto. “Caffeine as a Protective Factor in Dementia and Alzheimers Disease.” Journal of Alzheimers Disease, vol. 20, no. s1, 2010, doi:10.3233/jad-2010-1404.



Fortuna Enterprises - Want it all? We have it all!

Established in 2000, Fortuna Enterprises is the consummate leader in providing complete and comprehensive solutions for all of your coffee shop needs. Located in Greensboro, NC, Fortuna excels in unparalleled customer service by offering specialty roasted small-batch coffee, a fully stocked warehouse, imports, design, equipment repair, consulting, barista training, and more!

We are compelled to be the unsurpassed authority for all coffee shop requirements. We use this drive to continue our extensive research in carefully selecting only the highest quality coffees, equipment, syrups and other coffee shop necessities. Our products have a proven record of premium industry performance and unmatched reliability. We buy large quantities from our suppliers so we are in turn able to negotiate extremely competitive pricing for our customers. 

We look forward to hearing from you about how we can take you from concept to completion!

Popular Posts