Coffee loses many health benefits as it is roasted

A recent study was able to determine the chemical processes behind antioxidants in roasted coffee. Previous studies claim that antioxidants in coffee are end-products of chemical reactions that involve cholergenic acids in coffee beans.

Prof. David Kitts and student Yazheng Liu from University of British Columbia found out that antioxidants are the products of Maillard reaction in coffee beans.

This reaction involved transformations of carbohydrates, sugars, as well as proteins and other organic compounds in food when subjected to high temperatures.

The authors claim that valuable compounds can be traced during the roasting process.

Antioxidants prevail from green beans being browned under high temperature. It was also found out that almost 90 percent of those cholergenic acids, including caffeine, are already lost during the roasting process.

Antioxidants from food sources, including coffee, aid in removing free radicals from the body. Free radicals produced as the body metabolizes and ages.

The study helped clarify an area of research where results vary significantly. Some studies show increased antioxidant activity as coffee roasted. Some other claims that medium roast yields the most antioxidants.