Scientists at Denver's AMC Cancer Research Center claim that they have invented a new coffee-roasting process that preserves the disease-fighting antioxidant present in green java beans, reports Jim Erickson, PRNewswire.
Conventional roasting methods destroy antioxidant compounds, called polyphenols, which are also abundant in green tea.
The Denver researchers say their new beans, expected in shops by the end of the year, could transform coffee's image from jitter-inducing vice brew to cancer-fighting elixir.
"Coffee has had such a bad rap for so long. The marketing challenge will be convincing the consumer that it is really possible to have a healthy cup of coffee," said Loretta Zapp, chief executive officer and president of Oncology Sciences Corp.
The Texas-based company is partnering with Denver's AMC Cancer Research Center on the coffee project.
"The average American drinks three cups of coffee a day," Zapp said. "If you're going to be drinking coffee anyway, why not drink coffee that's got antioxidants? If it's better for you, naturally, then why not?"
AMC researchers developed the technique while studying the disease-fighting properties of polyphenols. Laboratory studies suggest that polyphenols can inhibit tumour growth and protect against cardiovascular disease, immune system dysfunction and inflammatory diseases, according to the AMC. Indeed, new claims about the disease-fighting effects of antioxidants appear almost weekly.
Oncology Sciences licensed the roasting technology from AMC, and the two groups are negotiating with several large food and coffee companies interested in marketing the product, Zapp said.
The patent-pending Coffee Antioxidant Enhancement Technology delivers a cup of coffee with three times more antioxidants than conventional brew, she said. One cup of the super brew contains as many antioxidants as a serving of fruit and vegetables, Zapp stressed.
The researchers claim that the new roasting technique preserves the coffee's flavour and aroma - as well as its caffeine jolt - without significantly increasing its cost, she added.