Coffee studies focus on retina

Coffee has been found to have the potential to prevent retinal degeneration in mice during experiments at Cornell University in the US.

The researchers said raw coffee contained 7 to 9 per cent chlorogenic acid, a strong antioxidant, in a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Chang Y Lee, professor of food science and the study’s senior author, said: ‘The study is important in understanding functional foods, that is, natural foods that provide beneficial health effects. Coffee is the most popular drink in the world, and we are understanding what benefit we can get from that.’

Previous studies had shown that coffee could also reduce the risk of such chronic diseases as Parkinson’s, prostate cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and age-related cognitive decline, the researchers added.