Coffee, like many fruits and vegetables, activates a cellular response that boosts antioxidants and repair enzymes, which contributes to a lower risk of several diseases.
The research paper proposes a new perspective on the health benefits of habitual coffee consumption. Instead of focusing on individual elements in coffee, the study compares coffee as a whole, acting as a plant food, with the advantageous properties of many vegetables and fruits. By linking coffee, vegetables and fruits, researchers identified a common mechanism that promotes health - the activation of an adaptive cellular response which leads to an upsurge of proteins involved in cell protection such as antioxidant, detoxifying and repair enzymes. It was also noted that this response hinges on the activation of the Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) system by phenolic phytochemicals, leading to the expression of cell defense genes.
The discussion of the paper's results reveals that coffee plays a significant role in health promotion, the main reason being that it is the primary dietary source of phenolic acids and polyphenols in the developed world. Additionally, a supportive function might be associated with the modulation of the gut microbiota by non-digested prebiotic constituents of coffee. Conclusively, the paper suggests that coffee uses similar health promotion pathways as other vegetables and fruits, and that coffee beans could be seen as healthy vegetable food and a leading supplier of dietary phenolic phytochemicals.
