Cited by 105Coffee research and impactsGenomics, phytochemicals, and oxidative stressPhytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities

Health Effects of Coffee: Mechanism Unraveled?

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Kolb, Hubert, Kempf, Kerstin, Martin, Stephan·2020·Nutrients

Abstract

The association of habitual coffee consumption with a lower risk of diseases, like type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic liver disease, certain cancer types, or with reduced all-cause mortality, has been confirmed in prospective cohort studies in many regions of the world. The molecular mechanism is still unresolved. The radical-scavenging and anti-inflammatory activity of coffee constituents is too weak to account for such effects. We argue here that coffee as a plant food has similar beneficial properties to many vegetables and fruits. Recent studies have identified a health promoting mechanism common to coffee, vegetables and fruits, i.e., the activation of an adaptive cellular response characterized by the upregulation of proteins involved in cell protection, notably antioxidant, detoxifying and repair enzymes. Key to this response is the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2) system by phenolic phytochemicals, which induces the expression of cell defense genes. Coffee plays a dominant role in that regard because it is the major dietary source of phenolic acids and polyphenols in the developed world. A possible supportive action may be the modulation of the gut microbiota by non-digested prebiotic constituents of coffee, but the available data are still scarce. We conclude that coffee employs similar pathways of promoting health as assumed for other vegetables and fruits. Coffee beans may be viewed as healthy vegetable food and a main supplier of dietary phenolic phytochemicals.

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Crossref · 10.3390/nu12061842

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  • Coffee polyphenols such as caffeoylquinic acids, trigonelline, and N-methylpyridinium lead to upregulation of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes and downregulation of proinflammatory mediators via activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2.

    “The mechanism behind this observation could be explained by the polyphenols contained in coffee such as caffeoylquinic acids, trigonelline and N-methylpyridinium. These lead to the upregulation of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes and the downregulation of proinflammatory mediators via the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) [20].”
  • Coffee consumption reduces the risk of several diseases such as diabetes mellitus and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

    “Furthermore, coffee consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of several diseases such as diabetes mellitus and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [20].”

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  1. [84]EFSA Panel on NDA Scientifc opinion on Coffee C21 and protection of DNA from strand breaks EFSA J. 2020 18 6055 PMC7448089 32874267

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Authors
Kolb, H., Kempf, K., & Martin, S.
Affiliations
  • Westdeutsches Diabetes- und GesundheitsZentrum (DE)
  • Faculty of Medicine, University of Duesseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Corresponding author
Kempf, Kerstin
Venue
Nutrients
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2020-06-20
Volume
12
Issue
6
Pages
1842
ISSN
2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3036363797
Cited by
105
References
105
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8
FWCI
1.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Coffee research and impacts
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics, phytochemicals, and oxidative stress
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities
Keywords
coffee consumption, health effects of coffee, Nrf2 signaling, phenolic phytochemicals, polyphenols, phenolic acids, antioxidant enzymes, detoxification enzymes, gut microbiota, prebiotics, fruits and vegetables, type 2 diabetes, chronic liver disease, cancer risk, all-cause mortality
MeSH terms
Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Antioxidants, Coffee, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Diet, DNA Damage, Humans, Liver Diseases, Neoplasms, Plant Extracts, Coffea, NF-E2-Related Factor 2, Prebiotics, Polyphenols, Phytochemicals

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