We hear a bit of everything and anything about coffee consumption. The French, who drink up to 5.4 kg per year, should know that the food is full of virtues for health, provided they do not abuse it (the limit not to exceed is 4 cups per day). Indeed, coffee would slow down aging and thus prolong life expectancy, in addition to minimizing the risks of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, according to a recent study carried out by the Krembil Brain Institute, located in the Canadian province of Ontario. The scientists focused their research on 3 types of coffee from the 100% Arabica brand used by Starbucks:a coffee with light roast beans, one with dark roast beans and another with decaffeinated dark roast beans. They discovered that the roasting process gave rise to a component called phenylindane, which, among other things, gives the drink its bitter taste. But that's not all, it prevents the formation of beta-amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, both present in patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
“This is the first time that a study has focused on the interaction between phenylindanes and the proteins responsible for the degenerative diseases of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The next logical step will be to look at the magnitude of the benefits these compounds may have, and whether they can graft themselves into the bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier [whose function is to isolate the brain from undesirable substances that can be found in the blood, Ed]”, explains Dr. Ross Mancini, who participated in the research. Dr. Donald Weaver, co-director of the Krembil Brain Institute, talks about the importance of using natural ingredients. “Mother Nature is a much better chemist than man, and Mother Nature manufactures these compounds. What this study does is take the epidemiological evidence [which relates to the study of health problems in populations, Ed],try to refine it and show that coffee does indeed contain ingredients that help slow down cognitive deterioration ". Coffee with dark roast beans would be the most effective in reducing the risk of contracting Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. However, Dr. Weaver cautions:“The results are interesting, but are we saying that coffee is a cure? Absolutely not ". It is important to specify it!
