Coffee with milk combo shows anti-inflammatory effect

A group of antioxidants, called polyphenols, are known to be good for humans as it helps in reducing bodily oxidative stress that leads to inflammation. It is also used by the food industry in slowing down the rate of oxidation and deterioration of food quality. Nonetheless, much is still unknown about polyphenols. Few studies have examined what happens with polyphenols when they react with other molecules. This led the researchers from Copenhagen to investigate how polyphenols behave with amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.

Prof. Marianne Nissen Lund, the head of the study, expressed that this antioxidant-protein cocktail could enhance the beneficial and inhibitory effect on inflammation in the immune cells. In cell experiments, they discovered that immune cells treated with the combination of polyphenols + amino acid were twice as good at fighting inflammation as contrasted to cells which only received polyphenols. 

The results that were demonstrated is the same reaction that happens quickly in coffee drinks with milk that have been studied. The researchers further implied that an anti-inflammatory effect can occur when other protein-rich foods, fruits, and vegetables are combined, say a meat dish with vegetables and yogurt.

In achieving best quality food, both the food industry and research community are working on adding the only right amount of polyphenols. Since humans can only consume limited quantities of polyphenol, scientists are finding a way to encapsulate it in protein structures to aid better absorption in the body, compounding the anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols.