Coffee is one of the most beloved drinks all over the world. Whether we start or end our day with a cup of coffee, it is something we look forward to. However, the drawbacks of caffeine intake are coming to light these days, and it forces us to ask, how much coffee is too much coffee? Well, there is no rush for you to look for the answer to this question. In fact, if you have been making up your mind to cut back, hold off on that thought. The research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry of the American Chemical Society demonstrated that consuming espresso can lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Research Says Espresso May Prevent Alzheimer’s
This finding may unlock the door to discovering or developing more bioactive compounds to combat other neurodegenerative diseases. According to a laboratory study by Italian scientists, espresso compounds can prevent the accumulation of tau protein. This protein is believed to be a factor in the growth of Alzheimer’s disease. In healthy people, tau proteins stabilise the structures of the brain. However, due to some diseases, the proteins can group together to form fibrils. Some researchers argue that averting this aggregation could enhance symptoms.
Researchers from the University of Verona in Italy strived to specify whether components found in coffee could stop tau aggregation in vitro. Under the direction of Mariana D’Onofrio, the scientists extracted espresso from pre-purchased beans. Next, they used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to analyse the chemical composition of the espresso shots.
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It Is The Time To Binge On Coffee
They agreed to focus their subsequent study on the alkaloids caffeine and trigonelline, the flavonoid genistein, and theobromine. This substance is also present in chocolate. For up to 40 hours, these molecules were incubated alongside an abbreviated version of the tau protein along with the entire espresso extract.
The fibrils were shorter and failed to form larger sheets as the concentration of espresso extract, caffeine, or genistein increased. Shortened fibrils were discovered to have no toxic effects on cells and did not function as seeds for additional aggregation. In additional tests, the researchers discovered that both caffeine and espresso extract could bind tau fibrils that had already formed.
The ongoing research is a good enough reason for more espresso!
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