WHAT ARE PHENOLS?

As you enjoy that coffee delivered steaming hot from one of our UKVending machines, you probably aren’t thinking about phenols and what they are doing to you. Well perhaps you should be, but don’t worry phenols are amongst the good guys.

A 2010 study published in the American Journal of Physiology found that phenols are responsible for the increase in energy expenditure and a decrease in the production of new fats in the human body.

So what exactly are they? In essence they are naturally occurring compounds in fresh fruit, vegetables, red wines and teas that make them healthy. As with everything – not everything in nature is equal and one type of coffee bean grown in one part of the world won’t contain the same amount of phenols as others grown elsewhere. As a rule those grown near the equator in Africa have more than their Far East cousins.

Also the lighter the roast the better, dark roasts contain far fewer phenols.

If all this wasn’t enough good news phenols also exert powerful antioxidants and anti inflammatory effects on the body – and in so doing actively fight many diseases including cancer. They also decrease a process called peroxidation, which creates more dangerous fats and may contribute to a reduced risk of coronary artery disease.

So here’s to phenols in coffee and teas.