Have scientists made coffee even better?
By now, almost everyone is aware of the benefits of a healthy gut flora, where the good, naturally occurring bacteria always come out on top in the ongoing battle against harmful bacteria and disease-causing microorganisms. Whether coffee is good for your gut health or not is the subject of varying opinions and studies. But these scientists decided to take matters into their own hands and try to make coffee good for your gut—without any doubt.
Because scientific literature suggests that drinking coffee is generally recommended because it helps get your bowels moving and supports digestion. On the other hand, doctors also say that coffee’s laxative effect can actually be harmful for people with sensitive intestines. But suppose your gut is doing just fine and you’re also looking for a way to give your gut flora a health boost… Could this coffee be exactly what you need?
Dr Coffee
Food scientists at the National University of Singapore have developed a coffee (and a tea) that is rich in probiotics. Certain nutrients and probiotics were added to brewed coffee, after which the drink fermented for twenty-four hours before being chilled. The caffeine content remained intact, as did the organic compounds in coffee that have a proven positive effect on health. Alcine Chan, the scientist who developed the coffee, also created several varieties; some with a softer mouthfeel, others with smoky flavor profiles, as well as a coffee with higher acidity. Something for every preference. The coffee is not yet available to consumers, but who knows—perhaps this will get producers moving.
Weighing it up
According to scientists at our own Maastricht UMC+, it is often still uncertain whether those added probiotics are useful. “It’s a matter of tailoring,” says Dr Daisy Jonkers, a specialist in gastrointestinal and liver diseases there. “With probiotic foods, it’s a matter of luck. Some people benefit from them, others don’t. If you’re often ill, you could try such a probiotic drink for four weeks to see what happens. By learning more about the functions of certain bacteria in the gut, better products may perhaps be developed in the future for specific applications.”
So whether you’ll be able to order an extra-hot probiotic oat latte from your favorite barista in the short term, and whether it could benefit your health, remains to be seen—but it’s always nice to know that people are working toward a healthier world!
Also read:
- 12 things Starbucks baristas absolutely hate here
- Tagine for your vagina: food for a happy box
- Why does that special barista oat milk actually foam so well?
Source: Eat This, gezondidee.mumc
