Coffee. My best friend doesn't drink it. Never has. Ever. Me? I couldn't imagine a morning without it. Ever. Forever. To be honest, coffee IS my (other) best friend.
I first discovered the incredible cognitive benefits of caffeine in high school, when I needed to keep my brain alive for many more hours than it was used to, to keep up with the study, Then throughout the 13 years of medical training, it became more and more of a necessity to get though grueling hours of study. Though I cottoned onto the benefits pretty early in life, I was clearly not the only clever caffeinated cafe frequenter. This life changing elixir was first discovered in the Yemen mountains on the Arbian Pensinsula. Although I like to think I keep my local barista in business, the highest producing areas are now Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia.
So what's in a bean?
Coffea Arabica contains many bioactive molecules including caffeine, ferulic acid, phytoesotrogens, proanthocyanidins and fatty acids.
And why's it good for skin?
These tricky sounding tasty ingredients have anti-ageing, anti inflammatory and anti oxidant effects. Especially when plastered onto the skin.
Coffee berry is extracted from the fruit of coffee Arabica. It has superior antioxidant acitivty to both green tea and pomegranate. It is obtained from unripe coffee beans, and when applied to the skin in a study of 20 females showed a 30% improvement in pigmentation, and 20% improvement in fine lines.
Green coffee oil is although thought to have anti ageing benefits by increasing synthesis of collagen, elastic and glycosaminoglycans by direct release of TGF-B, the leave extract also stimulates type 1 procollagen expression.
In English? Coffee may lead to increased skin firmness and less fine lines!
Drink up! xxx