Do you like a cup of joe?
Do you drink coffee? Well for many of us, it’s one of the first things we consume every morning and it’s key to getting the day started.
It’s something that millions of us drink but little is known about the effects of coffee on the brain and gut microbiota of healthy adults.
At APC Microbiome Ireland, a world leading SFI research centre headquartered in UCC, researchers are thinking about coffee all day every day.
Dr Serena Boscaini and Caroline O’Leary are leading a study investigating how coffee consumption affects the brain and gut microbiota of healthy adults between 30 and 50 years old.
Moderate coffee drinkers who drink three to five cups of coffee per day, living near and in Cork city are needed to take part in the study. This study involves four in person visits to UCC over approximately six weeks. APC researchers are also seeking non-coffee drinkers both in Cork and in the rest of Ireland. For non-coffee drinkers, the study involves two visits to UCC, while for those living outside Cork the first visit can be done online.
Dr Serena Boscaini, Postdoctoral Researcher at APC Microbiome Ireland said: “It is known that coffee consumption has a positive effect on human health. In particular, moderate consumption of coffee is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, liver diseases, Type II diabetes, cognitive decline, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
“This is not surprising since coffee contains several phytochemicals that are beneficial for human health, including different kinds of polyphenols. A large number of polyphenols are metabolized and modified by the microbes in our gut.
“It is also known that a number of microbes-derived molecules are affecting the health of other organs, such as the brain. To this end, this study aims to explore in detail what is the effect of coffee consumption on the gut microbiota, stress and cognition. At the moment, the effect of coffee on the gut microbiota and on the communication pathways between the brain and the gut is still largely unexplored.”
Caroline O’Leary, Clinical Research Nurse at APC Microbiome Ireland added: “People are incredibly passionate about coffee and we believe that this is a wonderful opportunity for coffee lovers and haters, to play an important part in research that will tell us more about how coffee benefits our microbes and our brain.”
To find out more, email Caroline O’Leary at carolineoleary@ucc.ie or Dr Serena Boscaini at serena.boscaini@ucc.ie or visit apc.ucc.ie/coffee.