We knew that coffee was good for health, but now we have discovered that it is a great ally of our microbiota

For years, coffee has not been too well considered. It depends on the place and the historical momentbut the culprit was not so much coffee itself … as caffeine. Although the evidence has managed to deny them, there is still A lot of myths about caffeine and its effects. But something that is also making clear research is beneficial effect of coffee on the body. It depends on the type of tan, of course. And one of the studies More recent links coffee with the intestinal microbiota.

Directly, it favors the Bacteria growth in our body. And it is something that fulfills a vital function.

The community Microbial of coffee. As we say, different studies on coffee allow you to have discovered your beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseasesthe diabetes or your Effect on the kidneys. In parallel, a relationship between coffee intake had been observed with the increase of certain intestinal bacteria, but the studies were on a small scale. Now, in Nature Microbiology he has Posted a study in which the genomic sequence of the intestinal microorganisms of more than 22,000 people in the United Kingdom and the United States was investigated.

They have discovered that coffee drinkers had a different microbiota, with intestinal bacteria such as Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus Eight times more abundant in the microbiota of coffee drinkers than in those who do not ingest this food.

And what does that imply. It is not limited to that bacteria, since increases in irmicutes, actinobacteria, actinobacteria were also observed, PREVETELLA, Faecalibacterium and Bifidobacterium, All of them linked to beneficial metabolic effects, such as greater production of short chain fatty acids. What this means is that, thanks to its polyphenols and the soluble fiber it contains, coffee produces some Prebiotic effects that have a direct influence on beneficial bacterial growth.

Before I said that it is something that fulfills a vital function, and in this case it is not an exaggeration. Intestinal microbiome bacteria They fulfill functions such as facilitating digestion, strengthening the immune system, regulating inflammation or protecting against pathogens and diseases. Very direct effects of this includes the production of vitamins and enzymes that are not obtained from food, facilitating Digestion of compounds as fiber and starch or Immune system regulation to distinguish between harmful and benign organisms.

Four cups. Tim Spector is one of the experts who has supervised the article and, as my colleagues from Straight to the palatethe amount of optimal coffee would be between two and four cups a day. It all depends on the organism of each one and tolerance, but something interesting is that we not only obtain those benefits for the microbiota, but also a a large amount of fiber.

Specifically, 1.5 grams of fiber for each cup of Filtrated coffee (There are many ways to prepare it, but filtered or infused is one of those that allows to extract more nutrients), and it is an amount similar to what would be obtained when eating a tangerine

And the caffeine, what. And this of the tolerance that each one has to coffee is important because there is a “Limit” in the amount of caffeine That we can take up to be in the healthy segment, but it depends a lot on each person. The good thing is that these positive effects on microbiota have been reported both in the ‘normal’ coffee and in the decaffeinated. If milk is addedIn addition, the amount of polyphenols may slightly decrease, but the balance is still positive. What should not be added is sugarsince there we would be doing more bad than good.

But if decaffeinated coffee is consumed, you should have an eye on how the process has been performed. Not all decaffeinated coffees are the same because there are several ways to eliminate (which is not completely eliminated, but is considerably reduced) caffeine, and Not all are equally healthy. To the point that some methods They are under the radar of organizations such as the US FDA.

Image | Justin Bhalla

In Xataka | There are more and more studies that link coffee with living more. And it is very easy to put the leg when preparing that ‘philosopher’ coffee

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