Study Suggests Adding Milk to Coffee May Have Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

A steaming cup of hot coffee is what most people prefer to kick off their day. A cup of coffee gives us energy for the day and helps us get ready for the tasks that lie ahead. Everyone likes their coffee brewed in a particular way. Some like to add milk while others like it strong and black.

Conducted by the Science faculty of the University of Copenhagen, the study says that a cup of coffee with milk has an anti-inflammatory impact on humans.

Inflammation is a reaction which occurs when bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances enter the body. Our immune systems react by deploying white blood cells and chemical substances to protect us. Antioxidants known as polyphenols found in humans, plants, fruits and vegetables slow the oxidation and deterioration of food quality and thereby avoid rancidity. Polyphenols are also known to be healthy for humans, as they help reduce oxidative stress in the body that gives rise to inflammation.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Food Science and Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences worked together to examine how polyphenols act when paired with amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, to have beneficial effects.

According to the study, polyphenol’s ability to reduce inflammation in immune cells is increased when it interacts with an amino acid. Additionally, this could reduce inflammation in humans.

In the research, immune cells were subjected to artificial inflammation in order to research the anti-inflammatory effects of mixing polyphenols with proteins. While some cells just got polyphenols in the same amounts, other cells received different dosages of polyphenols that interacted with an amino acid. An untreated control group received no doses.

The group’s earlier research had demonstrated that polyphenols bind to proteins in milk, beer and meat items. They examined how the molecules would interact in a coffee drink with milk because milk is a good source of proteins and coffee beans are full of polyphenols. The findings demonstrated that proteins and polyphenols in some milk-based coffee beverages respond swiftly.

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