Opioid peptides were found in coffee
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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In Brazil, a group of specialists made an unexpected discovery - coffee acts on the human body like morphine.
In the research centers of the State University and the Brazilian Institute, a group of scientists, after a detailed study of the structure of coffee, concluded that the protein that it contains acts on the body as a strong anesthetic, similar to that of morphine.
As the analysis showed, coffee has an unusual protein that has a narcotic effect, while it has been established that the principle of action of the protein is the same as that of morphine.
The researchers conducted experiments on laboratory rodents, in which it was seen that opioid peptides, which are natural biological molecules, most likely had a longer effect on mice, compared with morphine itself. According to Brazilian experts, the discovery made by their group has a "biotechnological potential" for the food industry, especially in the field of healthy nutrition. Also, scientists believe that their discovery can be useful for slaughterhouses, because animals that are taken to slaughter, experiencing great stress, which is not very good for the quality of meat.
It should be noted that the narcotic effect of coffee was discovered by the research team by accident. Scientists studied the functional genome of coffee trees (the experts studied methods of combining coffee genes) and the goal of the study was to improve the quality of coffee, but in the course of the work the experts made a completely unexpected discovery. A team of scientists has already applied to patent its discovery (opioid peptides that were identified in coffee).
Frozen milky juice is the source of morphine production (the most common way of obtaining). Juice is excreted by cutting unripe boxes of a certain type of poppy (opium). Frozen juice is called opium, in raw form contains from 10 to 20% of morphine, other types of poppy contain lesser concentrations of morphine.
Morphine is the main alkaloid of opium, on average opium contains 10% morphine, which is much higher than other alkaloids.
This discovery confirms the fact that coffee lovers can develop a true withdrawal syndrome. Psychotherapists even carried the symptoms that often arise when a person ceases to receive caffeine, to a particular mental disability. These changes were made at the request of specialists in the Diagnostic and Statistical Notes for Physicians in Mental Disorders.
Usually, a sharp refusal of coffee causes headaches, fatigue, depressive conditions, problems with concentration.
It is also worth noting that morphine, which is compared with peptides found in coffee, also causes withdrawal syndrome in patients.
In other studies, researchers found that moderate coffee consumption reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease. And another group of experts said that drinking coffee is a good prevention of type II diabetes, in addition, it will help maintain weight in the norm.
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