Science has discovered more ways that coffee is good for you

Are you a Liked by coffee But not sure if it’s good for you? Maybe you are aware of it famous Stimulant effect but you are not sure about other effects on your health. A recent study explores how regular it is Coffee consumption It affects the gut-brain axis, a two-way communication network that links the digestive system to brain activity. The results reveal a very complex interaction that goes beyond caffeine.

“Public interest in gut health has risen dramatically,” said John Cryan, co-author of the published study. this week In Nature Communications. “The relationship between digestive health and mental health is also better understood, but the mechanisms behind coffee’s effects on the gut-brain axis have remained unclear.”

Scientists at APC Microbiome Ireland, a research center at the University of Cork, compared 31 healthy adults who regularly consumed coffee with 31 people who did not drink coffee. According to the European Food Safety Authority, a “normal” coffee drinker is someone who drinks between three and five cups a day, which is a safe and moderate intake for most people.

The researchers also analyzed what happened when consumers stopped their intake for two weeks and then resumed, with either caffeinated or decaf coffee. This design made it possible to distinguish the effects of caffeine from other compounds found in coffee.

“Coffee is more than just caffeine,” Cryan said in the article. press release“It is a complex nutritional factor that interacts with our gut microbiome, our metabolism, and even our emotional well-being. Our findings suggest that coffee, whether caffeinated or decaffeinated, can affect health in different but complementary ways.”

The amazing effects of coffee

One of the most important findings was that coffee consumption modifies the composition of the gut microbiome. In people who drink alcohol regularly, changes in the abundance of some bacteria have been detected, e.g Aegirthella Types and Cryptobacterium curtumWhich suggests that coffee prefers specific microorganisms. The former is believed to contribute to the secretion of gastric and intestinal acid, while the latter is involved in bile acid synthesis. APC Microbiome Ireland explains that both bacteria contribute to eliminating harmful intestinal bacteria, preventing infection.

On a behavioral level, the study found that those who drink coffee regularly showed higher levels of impulsivity and emotional reactivity compared to those who do not drink it. But when coffee consumption was stopped for two weeks, these traits decreased, along with some symptoms associated with regular consumption such as fatigue or headaches in the first days of abstinence.

Reintroduction of coffee produced different effects depending on the type. Both caffeinated and decaf coffee reduce perceived stress and some indicators of depression. However, caffeinated coffee was associated with improvements in anxiety and some aspects of attention, while decaffeinated coffee showed benefits in memory, sleep quality, and physical activity. This suggests that many of coffee’s effects are not exclusively dependent on caffeine, but rather on other bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols.

Another related aspect is the immune system response. Coffee consumers showed lower levels of inflammatory markers and higher levels of anti-inflammatory molecules. During the period of abstinence, some markers of inflammation increased, suggesting that coffee may have a protective effect in this area.

No significant differences were observed between consumers and non-consumers when it came to physiological stress, as measured by the hormone cortisol. This suggests that coffee, at least under normal circumstances, does not significantly alter the body’s response to stress, although it may affect subjective perception of stress, as mentioned above.

A particularly interesting finding in the study is that some of coffee’s effects on the microbiome and metabolism occur independently of caffeine. Even decaffeinated coffee was able to induce rapid changes in microbial composition after reintroduction. This reinforces the idea that coffee is a complex mixture of compounds with multiple biological effects.

“Our findings reveal the microbiome and nervous system responses to coffee, as well as its potential long-term benefits for a healthier microbiome,” concluded Cryan, a principal investigator at APC Microbiome Ireland. “Coffee can modulate the activity of the microbiome as a whole and the metabolites it uses. As the population continues to consider dietary changes to achieve proper digestive balance, coffee can also be used as an additional intervention within a healthy, balanced diet.”

This story originally appeared on WIRED in Spanish It was translated from Spanish.