FOR years, studies have linked coffee drinking to a longer life and a lower risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes. Now, scientists believe they may have uncovered one of the reasons why.
Researchers at Texas A and M University have found that natural compounds in coffee activate a powerful protective receptor known as NR4A1, which helps the body’s natural defences combat the effects of aging.
The findings, published in the journal Nutrients, provide one of the strongest explanations yet for coffee’s long-observed health benefits, and are among the first to reveal how the popular beverage may produce many of its protective effects.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was that caffeine wasn’t the key player. Instead, the researchers found that plant-based compounds called polyphenols, particularly caffeic acid, were far more effective than caffeine at activating the body’s natural defence system.
“Our findings suggest that at least some of coffee’s
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