The composition of coffee beans

The composition of coffee beans

Coffee is a complex mixture that is beneficial to people's health. The chemical composition of coffee is determined by the interaction of agricultural, roasting, blending and manufacturing factors. The main ingredients of coffee have been known to humans for half a century.

According to the content, the water-soluble components of coffee include: polyphenols (pulp) 8%, polysaccharides 6%, chlorogenic acid 4%, minerals 3%, water 2%, caffeine 1%, organic acids 0.5%, sugars 0.3%, lipids 0.2% and aromatic compounds 0.1%.

The mental effects of caffeine have been well documented. Ordinary people believe that the effect of coffee is the same as that of caffeine. In fact, the other richer ingredients of coffee have not been deeply studied.

Green coffee beans contain 10% chlorogenic acid, an isomer of quinic acid hydroxycinnamyl ester (a common plant ingredient). Like most plants and fruits, green coffee beans contain about 10% chlorogenic acid by dry weight. It is monoesters and diesters of 3-substituted 4-hydroxyphenylethylenoic acid and quinic acid (a mixture of molecules similar to sugar).

In the baking process, about half of the chlorogenic acid removes water molecules to form lactone bonds, resulting in the formation of non-acidic quinine lactone. Roasted coffee can form the isomerization of quinine lactone, which will form hundreds of different kinds of products, each with its own unique role.

Although these compounds are small, accounting for only 0.3% of the dry weight of coffee, each has the potential to contribute significantly to the utility of coffee because their chemical properties allow them to enter the brain quickly. In addition, different quinine lactone acts on the same biological individual, also forming the role of coffee.

The pharmacological effects of chlorogenic acid or quinine are not well known. Interestingly, there was an Australian report that 240mg of ground coffee, about the same as 160mL coffee, could replace 50% of the opiate receptor antagonist [3H] allylmorphine. This means that coffee ingredients can act on the brain's opiate receptor system, thus regulating mood and alcoholism.

Drug addiction makes a lot of sense.