by Jenny Perez, December 20th 2023
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Four Delicious Ways to Enhance Health and Longevity Daily

Now more than ever, busy lives and demanding schedules make it difficult to find efficient, yet nourishing ways to maintain and optimize individual health. Rise and shine, another day at the grind, and what do most of us reach for to kickstart the day? Coffee. If you are among the 75% of Americans who are daily coffee drinkers, there is extensive evidence that this daily ritual has more to offer than its stimulating, energizing properties.

In this blog article, we will explore the link between coffee and longevity and how your cup of coffee can be a vehicle for a variety of functional food stir-ins. Have I piqued your interest? Great! Grab that cup of organic, fair-trade medium-roasted coffee, and let’s explore four delicious ways to enhance health and longevity every morning with some of Premier Research Labs’ functional food products.  

Medium-roasted Black Coffee - Bursting with Antioxidants

While longevity refers to living longer, the more important aspect is how well you are living and your overall quality of life. Black coffee is a complex beverage and traditional medicine containing more than 1000 biologically active compounds.1 With coffee being the second most consumed beverage worldwide, numerous experimental and clinical studies have investigated the effects of regularly ingesting small to moderate amounts of coffee and its effects on the overall health and life expectancy of daily coffee drinkers. 

In large epidemiological studies, habitual coffee consumption is associated with reduced mortality, both for ‘all-cause’ and cardiovascular deaths.1 The primary contributing factors, aside from caffeine, the habit-forming, alertness-inducing alkaloid, are the numerous antioxidant compounds present in medium-roasted coffee. These include caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and melanoidins.

Caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid are potent polyphenols that provide antioxidative effects and protect DNA from damage. Chlorogenic acid has also been noted to help metabolize blood sugar and lipids.2 Melanoidins are likely the most unique bioactive compound present in black coffee. Melanoidins are classified as High Molecular Weight (HMW) polymers with brown pigment and are formed during the coffee-bean roasting process, using chlorogenic acid as a substrate or ingredient. Research indicates that melanoidins provide antioxidative effects, inhibit lipid peroxidation, and possess metal-chelating properties. Moreover, roasted coffee beans are one of the main sources of melanoidins in the human diet.3

Coffee has long been considered a bitter, digestive-stimulating beverage by wellness practitioners. Moreover, it can enhance liver function and its tireless detoxification efforts. A study conducted in Italy concluded that drinking up to five cups of coffee per day is associated with an increase in blood concentrations of glutathione, a major antioxidant in the body.4 This is accomplished via the stimulation of glutathione transferase activity by two important diterpenes known as cafestol and kahweol.4 Research indicates that these diterpenes may help improve liver detoxification and reduce inflammation as well as cholesterol while improving beneficial LDL levels.4   

The phytochemistry of gently roasted coffee beans lends itself to delivering an array of beneficial compounds with unique and desirable health benefits. Nearly all compounds present in medium-roasted coffee have the potential to reduce free radical damage and associated inflammation as well as protect DNA. In addition to caffeine’s gallbladder-stimulating effects, the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol, have been considered the primary compounds involved in improving liver detoxification and reducing tumor cell activity.5 The potent polyphenols, chlorogenic, and caffeic acid deliver protective properties to localized tissues and modulate the colon’s microbiome. Black coffee is one of the main sources of melanoidins in the human diet and is being studied for its antioxidative potential in protecting the colon from free radical damage.3 Coffee’s potent antioxidants and detoxifying compounds have an affinity for the colon and modulate its microbiome. These are primary reasons that the health benefits of black coffee enemas have been explored as a therapy to cleanse the colon and boost immunity.  

Eight Evidence-Based Benefits of Black Coffee

Daily coffee consumption has been shown through hundreds of research studies to support:6

  • Potent Antioxidant and Inflammation-Modulating Nutrients and Phytochemicals 7
  • Improved Mental Alertness and Cognitive Function 8 
  • Enhanced Workout Performance 9 
  • Weight and Metabolism Management 10 
  • Supports Pancreatic Health and Beta Cell Function 11 
  • Enhanced Circulation and Cardiovascular Health 12
  • Enhanced Digestion and Elimination13 
  • Protects and Promotes Healthy Liver Function 14

Research has also demonstrated that people who drink coffee may live longer when compared with people who don’t.6 Scientists propose that the health benefits of drinking coffee may be due to coffee’s antioxidant properties.

However, habitual coffee drinkers may need to increase their water intake to offset coffee’s natural diuretic properties. Moreover, caffeine consumption may increase the risk of losing bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis. While the average daily intake of caffeine is about 200 mg – approximately two cups of coffee, researchers found that high doses of caffeine (800 mg) consumed over six hours almost doubled the amount of calcium lost in the urine.15 However, a functional food stir-in can deliver calcum calcium and much more.

Marine Collagen - an Antiaging Essential

Collagen has become a popular daily wellness supplement and with good reason. Collagen is considered a functional food because it is a nutrient-dense source of indispensable amino acids that have the potential to optimize health and address the physiological needs that are associated with aging and exercise recovery.16 Research indicates supplementing with collagen peptides enhances the quality of life by improving skin elasticity and suppleness17, supporting and maintaining joint mobility18, bone health, and lean muscle mass, and strengthening gut lining integrity.19 

Premier Marine Collagen is an easy-to-absorb, highly digestible protein enrichment supplement that can help build and maintain lean muscle mass while supporting workout recovery. A systematic review of the effects of collagen peptide supplementation on body composition concluded that, when supplemented daily, as little as 5g of collagen peptides may be effective in relieving pain during activity for athletes, in the absence of degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis.18

Every scoop provides a sustainable, hydrolysable source of Type 1 collagen, 19 of 20 amino acids, and naturally contains more calcium than bovine-sourced collagen. The high glycine content of collagen also increases glutathione production, a significant predictor of longevity. The more glycine in the body, the more glutathione available to protect each cell. Bonus - When stirring collagen into coffee, caffeine’s calcium-depleting effects can be reduced while subtly promoting overall health.

Raw Honey – a Longevity Superfood

Another delicious and health-boosting addition to coffee is raw honey. Honey is a natural product formed from the nectar of flowers by honeybees (Apis mellifera) that has been used as food and medicine for over five thousand years.20 Honey is a functional food powerhouse that has long been associated with life-enhancing properties. Raw honey contains 18 of 20 amino acids, all water-soluble vitamins, numerous trace minerals, an array of antioxidant flavonoids and polyphenols, bioactive enzymes, and organic acids. Evidence suggests that honey has significant antioxidant, glucose-modulating, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects with an affinity for soothing the skin, as well as the tissues of the respiratory and digestive systems.20 

Most honey products are ultra-filtered and pasteurized to kill yeasts, and spores, and improve shelf life. However, these processes remove trace amounts of anti-allergenic bee pollen and damage heat-sensitive nutrients and enzymes. Premier Canadian Gold Honey is truly raw; unpasteurized and unfiltered so it retains its active nutrients and enzymes. We source our wildflower honey from native stands of north Canadian wildflowers. Mixing a small spoonful of honey into a cup of coffee is a pleasant way to deliver lots of energizing, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory elements at once. 

Functional Mushrooms Uniquely Influence Longevity

Our last suggested life-enhancing daily ritual is supplementing with medicinal or functional mushrooms. Edible and medicinal mushrooms have been used for thousands of years for their adaptogenic, antiviral, and immune-modulating properties. Evidence reveals that the health benefits of functional mushrooms far exceed their nutritional value as a food. Functional mushrooms, such as shitake (Lentinula edodes), reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), and turkey tails (Trametes versioclor) are abundant sources of L- ergothioneine, a sulfur-containing protein derived from the amino acid histidine. 

L-ergothioneine’s natural ability to combat oxidative stress-related conditions makes it one of the primary nutrients associated with functional mushrooms’ longevity-promoting properties.21

Research demonstrates that human cells contain transporter proteins that specifically facilitate the transport of L-ergothioneine throughout the body, giving rise to the notion that this nutrient may be conditionally essential. L-ergothioneine has potent antioxidant properties associated with protecting cells and mitochondria from oxidative damage and reduces the rate of telomere shortening, which is a hallmark of cellular aging and compromised cognition.22 Protecting telomeres to maintain vitality has long been a focus of anti-aging research.

Since most diets are generally low in L-ergothioneine, and levels decline with age, finding ways to add high-quality medicinal mushroom powders into the diet is easier than most think. 23 Add to soups, miso, and broths, or brew up some DIY mushroom coffee and add the mushroom powder into medium-roasted organically cultivated coffee grounds. The uses and benefits are numerous and enjoyable. 

Premier Coffee - A Lifespan-Enhancing Daily Ritual

At Premier Research Labs, we understand that coffee is more than just a beverage—it's an ancient medicinal beverage with numerous evidence-based benefits. Premier Research Labs is excited to announce our newest product, Premier Coffee. Our medium-roasted Guji coffee beans are ethically and sustainably sourced, meticulously processed, and rigorously tested. Unlike most coffee brands, Premier Coffee is a single-origin coffee, which means that our beans come exclusively from one specific collection of Ethiopian farms that have been stewarding the cultivation and harvest of ancient varieties of the Guji coffee plant for over 1200 years. 

At Premier Research Labs, we use a variety of test methods to ensure that we are bringing you only the safest, cleanest, most effective products. Our coffee is no exception. We test every batch for heavy metals and common microbial contaminants like mycotoxins, and we only sell Guji coffee beans that meet our meticulous standards. You can also rest assured that Premier Coffee is organically cultivated, Fair-Trade certified, non-GMO, and gluten-free. 

Consider taking your longevity and wellness regimen to the next level by starting every morning with one, more, or all Premier Research Labs’ longevity-promoting functional food products. Serve up a daily dose of wellness by combining coffee’s antioxidant activity with marine collagen’s fortifying properties, functional mushroom’s immune-modulating support, or honey’s digestion-soothing sweetness to make every morning cup of coffee a life-enhancing experience. 

References

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  2. Meng S, Cao J, Feng Q, et al. "Roles of Chlorogenic Acid on Regulating Glucose and Lipids Metabolism: A Review", Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2013, Article ID 801457, 11 pages, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/801457.
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Jenny Perez is an herbal educator, researcher, and writer who has been immersed in the field of nutrition and botanical medicine for more than 20 years. Jenny has created curriculum, content, and educational materials for Quantum Nutrition Labs, Premier Research Labs, the American Botanical Council, and Bastyr University’s Botanical Medicine Department where she was Adjunct Faculty, Herb Garden Manager, and Director of the Holistic Landscape Design certificate program.