Blog — chlorogenic acids

A discussion of the literature, by Ildi Revi, Director of Coffee A key dialogue that would be valuable for the Coffee Council brain trust to explore together is the connection between coffee and gastrointestinal issues. Some people drink a cup of coffee and they don’t feel well afterward, get indigestion, or have acid reflux. Observation tells us that this is not uncommon. Doctors frequently advise their patients to regulate coffee use if they are having gastric symptoms. What scientific evidence is the basis for this advice? Is coffee’s acidity the culprit? Why do some people feel coffee is too “harsh”...

By Deanna Minich, PhD For years, I’ve been talking about “eating the rainbow” of colorful, whole, plant-based foods. Why? Because of the 5,000 to 10,000 of healthful compounds in plant foods called phytochemicals (1). These phytochemicals include compounds referred to as phenolic acids, lignans, alkaloids, flavonoids, carotenoids, isoflavones, and stilbenes, to name a few. Most people don’t know much about them because they aren’t listed on a food label, but what we know from scientific research is that they are just as important as any other nutrient. In fact, perhaps even more so, despite the fact we typically eat less...

Did you know a cup of coffee each morning is a major source of beneficial antioxidants? In fact, clinical studies show that coffee is one of the largest sources of antioxidants in the human diet [1]. One antioxidant in particular, known as chlorogenic acid (CGA), is the key to many of coffee's most popular health benefits – it's one of the reasons why finding a high CGA coffee is so beneficial for people. Chlorogenic acid in coffee helps fight the damage caused by free radicals, which studies have suggested may help reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol and even lower your blood...

The benefits of coffee on the liver were first recognized in people suffering from liver cirrhosis, which is a disease that mostly develops as a result of alcoholic liver damage. Studies by Klatsky et al. as well as others recognized a correlation between coffee intake and decrease in elevated liver enzymes, and overall hospitalizations and mortality of people with liver cirrhosis. It appeared that, for alcoholic liver disease, coffee could make a major difference in how fast the disease progressed and could even work to reduce damage. Most people are aware that alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for...