- Drinking coffee with milk may increase the anti-inflammatory benefits of the sip, according to one study.
- Researchers say that when polyphenols, the antioxidants in coffee, bind to protein, they are more effective at fighting inflammation.
- Experts explain how to apply the findings to your daily food choices.
For the millions of people who start their day with a cup or two of coffee, the sip is one of the most potent sources of inflammation-fighting antioxidants in their diets. Now, if there were a way to double the antioxidant power of coffee, would you take it? According to a study from 2023, coffee with milk fights inflammation more effectively than coffee alone. Considering the volume of research that’s been published since on how coffee may help you live longer, we’re shining a light on these findings. Here’s what the researchers say is happening, plus what experts say you should take away from the study to apply to your daily diet.
The study, published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, looked at cells to see what happens when polyphenols, inflammation-fighting compounds naturally occurring in some foods (like coffee) are paired with proteins. Given that coffee beans are naturally packed with polyphenols, and milk contains protein, researchers tested whether the molecules would bind to each other in coffee with milk.
Meet the experts: Melissa Mroz-Planells, D.C.N., R.D.N., national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the Prevention Medical Review Board; Scott Zashin, M.D., board-certified internist and rheumatologist in Dallas, TX; Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., a registered dietitian nutritionist in New York City.
The molecules did, in fact, bind together, and as a result, the exposed cells were twice as effective at fighting inflammation compared to polyphenols alone. Meaning that just by adding milk to your morning coffee, you could be helping your body fight inflammation twice as hard.
How polyphenols and protein fight inflammation
Polyphenols are found in many plant foods and include flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, and stilbenes, said Melissa Mroz-Planells, D.C.N., R.D.N., national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the Prevention Medical Review Board. “Polyphenols act as antioxidants helping to combat free radicals [unstable molecules] and help to protect against cellular damage commonly seen with inflammation.”
Polyphenols also decrease oxidative stress, which typically causes inflammation, said Scott Zashin, M.D., board-certified internist and rheumatologist in Dallas, TX. “The food industry actually uses polyphenols in different foods to try to improve the quality and prevent deterioration or change of flavor.” Given the fact they’re antioxidants, the food industry uses them to maintain the integrity of the food they’re manufacturing, he added. In other words, polyphenols are a natural preservative. According to Mroz-Planells, they can be found in berries, herbs, spices, nuts, flaxseeds, olives, tea, red wine, whole grains, and certain vegetables.
In this study, researchers induced inflammation artificially and exposed the cells to it, explained Dr. Zashin. “If you get an infection, your body will mobilize white cells to fight the infection and that causes inflammation in the process.” Next, the researchers added either polyphenols, polyphenols and amino acids (the building blocks of protein), or neither, and then waited to see how the cells would respond to the inflammation. Ultimately, the cells in the study that were exposed to the polyphenols and amino acids seemed to have a better response at decreasing inflammation compared to those with polyphenols alone or those with neither.
Therefore, “If you drink coffee (polyphenols) and milk (amino acids), it works as a more anti-inflammatory effect than the coffee alone,” said Dr. Zashin.
The bottom line
The most important thing to take away from this study is that having a diet rich in polyphenols can be anti-inflammatory, said Dr. Zashin. “In rheumatology, we often recommend a Mediterranean diet, which is a diet high in polyphenols, for patients with inflammatory conditions, whether it’s rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, so this is just the study supporting that recommendation.”
Dr. Zashin noted that this new research indicates that if you add foods rich in amino acids to your diet as well, such as milk, salmon, chicken, or other kinds of lean meat, you may get even more of an anti-inflammatory effect.
However, these findings should not negate the overall benefit of consuming polyphenol-rich foods even without protein, said Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N., a registered dietitian nutritionist in New York City. And the study is not without its drawbacks, given that it was conducted on cells and not on humans. “Also to note, this study is an in-vitro study which is not the same as a study conducted on humans, and should be viewed as preliminary findings,” Gans added.
Overall, researchers’ findings further demonstrate the importance of eating a diet that includes a variety of foods rich in polyphenols for boosting diet quality and health, said Mroz-Planells. And if you’re drinking your coffee with a splash of milk or cream, feel free to continue to do so.
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