Why brew leads to longevity

Coffee-lovers in the kingdom can take comfort from the news that their favourite brew may be helping them to live longer.

The cups of comfort are reducing chemicals in the blood that can trigger heart disease, researchers have found. The finding that coffee drinkers tend to live longer than people who abstain has long puzzled scientists.

Now researchers at Stanford University believe they may have hit on a reason why having a coffee or tea break is so good for us. The study results published in Nature Medicine have not surprised Chorok Cyrus Woo, director of crust & crema roaster, cafe and bakery.

“The benefits are well documented from boosting physical performance, helping with losing weight and burning fat, focusing and staying alert, reducing the risk of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, plus Type II diabetes and helping with mood swings and fighting depression,” he said. “But I would emphasise that the coffee itself should be of good quality.”

According to the scientists, caffeine, the ingredient that gives coffee, tea and some fizzy drinks a lift, blocks chemicals in our blood that promote inflammation. Inflamed blood vessels are more likely to become stiffer – a risk factor for heart disease.

Inflammation also plays a key role in many other diseases, the research study said. Tests found fewer of the chemicals linked to inflammation in those who had more caffeine in their bloodstream.

Further investigation revealed that they, as might be expected, drank more coffee than their peers. A chemical found in chocolate, theobromine, was also found to have an antiinflammatory effect, although not as pronounced as caffeine.

David Furman of the Stanford University’s Institute for Immunity, Transplantaion and Infection said: ‘More than 90 per cent of all noncommunicable diseases of aging are associated with chronic inflammation.

‘It’s also well known that caffeine intake is associated with longevity. Many studies have shown this association. We’ve found a possible reason for why this may be so.” The authors found that in an ongoing study following participants aged 20-30, and another group of people aged 60, those who ‘tended to drink more caffeinated beverages’ had lower levels of inflammatory compounds in their blood.

Further tests in the laboratory in human cell cultures found that caffeine had an active role in combating the chemicals that trigger inflammation. The key chemical combated by caffeine is called Interleukin-1-beta.

His colleague Dr Mark Davis added: “That something many people drink - and actually like to drink - might have a direct benefit came as a surprise to us. “What we’ve shown is a correlation between caffeine consumption and longevity.

And we’ve shown more rigorously, in laboratory tests, a very plausible mechanism for why this might be so.” Although Mr Woo warned that ‘too much of a good thing is bad for you’ and can result in sleep issues, he also believes there may be some hope for coffee lovers suffering from high cholesterol who doctors have warned off the beverage because of the oils produced in an espresso, or espresso based drink.

“A way around this is to drink hand-poured-over coffees that we brew with,” he suggested. “As this technique uses a filter, the oil in the coffee is reduced. You can see the differences between an espresso-based Americano, for example, to a filtered, pour-over. The taste of the coffee is also, in my opinion, much cleaner. I like to call it the ‘crown prince’ of coffee!”

The popular crust & crema roaster, cafe and bakery has outlets opposite the cinema in Saar and Galleria Mall in Zinj. Cold Brew, its light and refreshing coffee, is in particular demand. It’s named after the process of steeping coffee grounds in room temperature or cold water for an extended period, in the case of crust & crema, you’re talking more than eight hours.

It is proving so popular the outlet also sells concentrated amounts so customers just have to add water and ice to taste at home.