Coffee with milk may have an anti-inflammatory effect
University of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science
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A combination of proteins and antioxidants
doubles the anti-inflammatory properties in immune cells. The researchers hope
to be able to study the health effects on humans.
Whenever
bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances enter the body, our immune
systems react by deploying white blood cells and chemical substances to protect
us. This reaction, commonly known as inflammation, also occurs whenever we
overload tendons and muscles and is characteristic of diseases like rheumatoid
arthritis.
Antioxidants
known as polyphenols are found in humans, plants, fruits and vegetables. This
group of antioxidants is also used by the food industry to slow the oxidation
and deterioration of food quality and thereby avoid off flavors and rancidity.
Polyphenols are also known to be healthy for humans, as they help reduce
oxidative stress in the body that gives rise to inflammation.
But much remains unknown about polyphenols. Relatively few studies have investigated what happens when polyphenols react with other molecules, such as proteins mixed into foods that we then consume.
In
a new study, researchers at the Department of Food Science, in collaboration
with researchers from the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, at
University of Copenhagen investigated how polyphenols behave when combined with
amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. The results have been promising.
"In
the study, we show that as a polyphenol reacts with an amino acid, its
inhibitory effect on inflammation in immune cells is enhanced. As such, it is
clearly imaginable that this cocktail could also have a beneficial effect on
inflammation in humans. We will now investigate further, initially in animals.
After that, we hope to receive research funding which will allow us to study the
effect in humans," says Professor Marianne Nissen Lund from the Department
of Food Science, who headed the study.
The
study has just been published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry.
Twice
as good at fighting inflammation
To
investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of combining polyphenols with
proteins, the researchers applied artificial inflammation to immune cells. Some
of the cells received various doses of polyphenols that had reacted with an
amino acid, while others only received polyphenols in the same doses. A control
group received nothing.
The
researchers observed that immune cells treated with the combination of
polyphenols and amino acids were twice as effective at fighting inflammation as
the cells to which only polyphenols were added.
"It
is interesting to have now observed the anti-inflammatory effect in cell
experiments. And obviously, this has only made us more interested in
understanding these health effects in greater detail. So, the next step will be
to study the effects in animals," says Associate Professor Andrew Williams
of the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the Faculty of Health
and Medical Sciences, who is also senior author of the study.
Found
in coffee with milk
Previous
studies by the researchers demonstrated that polyphenols bind to proteins in
meat products, milk and beer. In another new study they tested whether the
molecules also bind to each other in a coffee drink with milk. Indeed, coffee
beans are filled with polyphenols, while milk is rich in proteins.
"Our
result demonstrates that the reaction between polyphenols and proteins also
happens in some of the coffee drinks with milk that we studied. In fact, the
reaction happens so quickly that it has been difficult to avoid in any of the
foods that we've studied so far," says Marianne Nissen Lund.
Therefore,
the researcher does not find it difficult to imagine that the reaction and
potentially beneficial anti-inflammatory effect also occur when other foods
consisting of proteins and fruits or vegetables are combined.
"I
can imagine that something similar happens in, for example, a meat dish with
vegetables or a smoothie, if you make sure to add some protein like milk or
yogurt," says Marianne Nissen Lund.
Industry
and the research community have both taken note of the major advantages of
polyphenols. As such, they are working on how to add the right quantities of
polyphenols in foods to achieve the best quality. The new research results are
promising in this context as well:
"Because
humans do not absorb that much polyphenol, many researchers are studying how to
encapsulate polyphenols in protein structures which improve their absorption in
the body. This strategy has the added advantage of enhancing the
anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols," explains Marianne Nissen Lund.
The
research is funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark and conducted in
collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden in Germany.
Polyphenol
Facts
·
Polyphenols are a
group of naturally occurring antioxidants important for humans.
·
They prevent and delay
the oxidation of healthy chemical substances and organs in our bodies, thereby
protecting them from damage or destruction.
·
Polyphenols are found
in a variety of fruits and vegetables, tea, coffee, red wine and beer.
· Due to their antioxidant properties, polyphenols are used in the food industry to minimize the oxidation of fats in particular, as well as the quality deterioration of foods, to avoid off flavours and rancidity.
