By Deutsche Welle
Researchers at the University of Verona (Italy) have identified a compound present in espresso coffee that could help fight Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Although it is not yet clear how or when Alzheimer’s develops, scientists have discovered in the past that people with the disease have an excessive concentration of tau protein in their brains.
Higher caffeine, lower concentration of tau protein
After a chemical composition analysis in a laboratory, the researchers of the new publication found that, as the amount of caffeine increased, the accumulation of the tau protein was less.
“We have presented a large body of evidence that espresso coffee, a widely consumed beverage, is a source of natural compounds that show beneficial properties in ameliorating tau-related pathologies,” the researchers stated.
Preventive properties
Likewise, the researchers observed that tau proteins did not damage cells when they were in contact with caffeine from a concentrated coffee, and suggest that it could even help prevent new accumulations of these proteins.
“The shortened fibrils were found to be non-toxic to cells and did not act as ‘seeds’ for further clustering,” they added.
The fight against Alzheimer’s
The consumption of coffee has been linked in several previous investigations with health benefits, such as having anti-inflammatory properties or reducing the risk of diseases such as cancer or diabetes.
Although the scientists say that much research is still lacking in this regard, they believe that these findings could lead to preventive or therapeutic treatments against Alzheimer’s and other similar diseases.
Alzheimer’s is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease that slowly destroys memory and the ability to perform tasks. The United States recently approved the first drug to treat Alzheimer’s.
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