Coffee has a conflicting reputation - is it a guilty pleasure or a life saving elixir? Emma Davies gulps down an espresso and investigates
Coffee is one of the richest sources of phenolics in the western diet and can potentially pack a strong antioxidant punch, in theory protecting cells if the body’s natural mechanisms fail to keep levels of reactive oxygen species under control. Yet the story is far more complex than a simple battle between antioxidants and free radicals.