Coffee-roasting method saves antioxidants - goodnews: essential natural health news - Brief Article

Better Nutrition, Jan, 2004

A patent is being issued on a new coffee-roasting process that substantially increases the antioxidant content in brewed coffee.

Recent experiments in both animals and humans have shown that increasing polyphenol antioxidant intake can elevate total antioxidant capacity of the blood. Antioxidants are believed to mop up molecular garbage that is linked with genetic damage, including cancer and aging.

Coffee beans contain polyphenols but many of the antioxidants found in the green coffee beans are destroyed during conventional roasting methods. The darker roast coffees typically contain the least amount of natural antioxidants.

The so-called Healthy Roast Technology involves a relatively simple but unique and natural process. The green coffee beans are soaked in water before roasting, and later, the roasted beans are drenched with the liquid in which the coffee beans were first pre-soaked. This saves--and returns to the beans--many of the antioxidants ordinarily lost during roasting.

Coffee utilizing the new technology will smell and taste the same and will be on many store shelves early this year, sources say.