Antioxidants in Coffee

Coffee provides the morning jolt, keeps us awake, and makes us radiant and healthy. A cup of coffee is rich in antioxidants that are good for the overall wellness of the body. This characteristic of coffee is not known to the average coffee drinkers, however. A lot of us were all brought up thinking that the only benefit we can get from coffee is its strong power to keep us.
Nevertheless, researching on the effects of coffee on health allowed scientists to learn that coffee can be indeed good for us. A lot of researchers recommend drinking two to four cups of coffee daily to maximize the benefits, such as absorbing the much-needed antioxidants in coffee.
Antioxidants are the good guys that fight the harmful effects brought by reactive oxygen species, which threaten to control our healthy cells and convert them to aging and dead cells. Reactive oxygen species, more commonly known as free radicals, affect the normal function of the cells and damage the DNA in our bodies. These free radicals bombard the body in different ways. The most potent source of free radicals is the sun that gives off high level of ultraviolet rays, which, in turn, creates free radicals. These radicals, in turn, produce more of them that will damage the skin in a matter of minutes after exposure. A “shot”�"or a cup�"of antioxidants in coffee can provide the necessary backup for the existing ones found in the body.
Studies show that antioxidants in coffee look for the free radicals and fight them, keeping the cells healthy in the process. Antioxidants minimize the chances of developing heart disease and cancer, the two leading causes of death worldwide. These antioxidants also minimize the possibility of developing degenerative brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Type 2 diabetes and liver cirrhosis can also be avoided by intake antioxidants in coffee.
Several food like berries, wheat germ, nuts, and brown rice have antioxidants. Beverages like tea, wine, and beer are also rich in antioxidants; but studies have shown that of all the sources of antioxidants, coffee leads the list in terms of quantity of these useful components. The antioxidants in green tea, which has always been known to be truly effective, do not even come close to the number of antioxidants that coffee possesses.
Caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee appears to have the same content of antioxidants. Roasting the coffee has some effects in the level of its antioxidant content, though. Light and dark roast coffee has a lesser level of antioxidants than medium-roast coffee. Also, if you want to increase your antioxidants, you may want to roast your coffee for at least ten minutes.
Generally, the different types of coffee beans have the same amount of antioxidants, although some, such as the Robusta coffee bean, have more than twice the antioxidant content as regular coffee beans.
The most abundant polyphenol in coffee is chlorogenic acid, which is composed of caffeic acid and quinic acid. This polyphenol contains most of the antioxidants found in coffee. Coffee also contains cinnamate esters, which have been proven by a lot of researchers to be potent antioxidants.
Some people may think that adding milk to coffee would increase levels of the antioxidant components; however, research has shown that milk does not increase or decrease this.

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The next time you hold a cup of coffee at Starbucks or Coffee Bean, remember antioxidants in coffee.
You may also read more on other benefits of antioxidants at http://www.whatisantioxidant.com/.