Past research has shown
coffee is packed with antioxidants and their subsequent benefits,
potentially preventing conditions like cardiovascular disease,
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Now, a new study suggests a chemical compound found in coffee might protect against a host of obesity-related diseases, as well.
So, what’s this buzzy nutrient in your cup of joe?
It’s a potent antioxidant called chlorogenic acid (CGA), which scientists focused on in a new study published in Pharmaceutical Research.
For 15 weeks, the researchers fed mice a high-fat diet while also
injecting them with a chlorogenic acid solution twice a week. Not only
did the CGA prevent the mice from gaining weight during the test period,
but the effects against obesity were also promising.
“We found that CGA significantly
blocked the development of high fat diet-induced obesity, and in the
meantime, CGA treatment curbed obesity-related metabolic syndrome, such
as fatty liver and insulin resistance,” lead study author Yongjie Ma, a postdoctoral research associate in University of Georgia’s College of Pharmacy, told Yahoo Health.
“Coffee is one of the most
widely-consumed beverages, and has shown benefits to lower the risk of
developing chronic diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular
diseases and cancer,” he said. “We tried to find the component in coffee
which exerts these effects.”
Zeroing in on CGA to counter the
negative effects of obesity-related conditions makes sense, as
scientists have suspected CGA helps reduce inflammation, and
obesity-related illnesses often result in chronic inflammation.
Ma hopes the research is a first step in developing better treatments
for a growing problem. However, there are a couple caveats to the study.
First off, the researchers worked with mice.
Secondly, they injected
the mice with a high dose of CGA, a lot more than you’d get in a
standard cup of java.
YAHOO NEWS
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