Scientists have found: a common beverage can reduce inflammation in the body

Compounds found in coffee may influence the cellular receptor NR4A1, which is responsible for regulating inflammatory processes and the body's stress response. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from Texas A&M University. The results of their work have been published in the scientific journal Nutrients.

As reported by TUT.AZ with reference to the study, epidemiological observations have long pointed to a link between regular coffee consumption, reduced mortality, and a decreased risk of age-related diseases. However, the exact molecular mechanisms behind these positive effects remained a mystery to science. The new study sheds light on how exactly individual components of the popular beverage can affect processes within cells.

The scientists focused on the interaction of coffee and its key biologically active compounds with the NR4A1 receptor — a protein that plays an important role in regulating genes that control cellular stress and inflammatory responses.

Several substances characteristic of coffee beans came under the specialists' scrutiny: caffeic, ferulic, chlorogenic, and para-coumaric acids, as well as kahweol and cafestol. Experiments demonstrated that these compounds are capable of binding to the NR4A1 receptor and altering the activity of cellular processes under its control.

Notably, different coffee components affect the receptor in different ways. The main polyphenols showed a pronounced interaction with NR4A1, whereas caffeine and quinic acid exhibited noticeably weaker and less stable activity.