A morning cup of Joe (or 3-5) may just be what the doctor orders.
Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee per day and spend $1100/year per capita. Finland beats us at consuming 26lbs annually per capita! They may be onto something as they are the happiest country in the world.
Before coffee was poured in a cup, it was ground into beans, combined with animal fat and chewed. That's one way to get an antioxidant boost but many would prefer something along the lines of coffee mixed in a blender with butter or ghee and MCT oil. This won't spike your insulin. The sugary chemical additives we want to avoid will most certainly spike insulin and cause inflammation, not the coffee itself.
Coffee: A Great Source of Antioxidants
Coffee is one of the richest sources of antioxidants in the American diet. Coffee (decaffeinated too) contains some pretty impressive compounds which contribute to its health benefits and lower inflammation.
Chlorogenic acid represents a group of plant polyphenols found in high concentrations in coffee and can downregulate pro-inflammatory cytokines. It is great at getting rid of free radicals and can help prevent cardiovascular disease.
The cafestol and kahweol compounds in coffee mediate the inflammatory response and contribute to its pharmacological effects. In addition they can improve liver detox functions which in itself will be anti inflammatory.
Trigonelline is an alkaloid and present in fruits and seeds including coffee. It has anti-viral, anti- bacterial and anti-tumor activities all of which contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties. Some people have used coffee as a mouthwash as trigonelline is known to help prevent dental caries by preventing certain bacteria from sticking to the teeth. Not sure we would recommend that!
Does the Caffeine in Coffee Play a Role?
Many Compounds in both regular and decaf coffee reduce inflammation But the caffeine also plays a specific role. It can block adenosine, high levels of which sparks inflammation. Caffeine may also block pathways that produce inflammatory molecules.
The best way to obtain antioxidants is through food or drinks, therefore coffee is a great option. We need to combat those free radicals daily as they create inflammation and are tied to heart disease, cancer and many other common disease states. When choosing your coffee, it is important to look for conscious sourcing, processing and roasting all of which affect the quality and health benefits of the coffee. Cardiology Coffee meets these standards! Be sure to grind your coffee just before brewing to take full advantage of its beneficial properties. And don't forget to use clean water, this will make or break the benefits! Making coffee with toxic chemicals may just be offensive to your high quality coffee! We love the Pristine Hydro water filtration system.
