Dark Roast Coffee May Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's

A study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience details how drinking dark roast coffee may protect against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . The researchers examined light roast, dark roast, and decaffeinated dark roast coffee. They conducted experiments that showed the effects of a group of compounds known as phenylindanes, which form when roasting coffee beans and give coffee its bitter flavor. The phenylindanes inhibited the clumping of two protein fragments often found in people with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Roasting triggers higher quantities of phenylindanes, so dark roasted coffee appears to be more protective than light roasted coffee. The Krembil Brain Institute's Donald Weaver says although it is uncertain how beneficial these compounds are, the research clearly shows "that there are indeed components within coffee that are beneficial to warding off cognitive decline. It's interesting but are we suggesting that coffee is a cure? Absolutely not."