A daily cup of coffee may prevent deteriorating eyesight and the possibility of blindness, a Cornell University study reported Wednesday.
Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study describes how coffee contains a chemical compound called chlorogenic acid (CLA makes up 7%-9% of the average beverage, compared to 1% caffeine). CLA, in turn, is an antioxidant that has shown it can prevent retinal degeneration in mice.
"Coffee is the most popular drink in the world, and we are understanding what benefit we can get from that," Chang Y. Lee, a professor of food science and the study's lead author, said to the Cornell Chronicle.
Funded by The Korea Institute of Science and Technology, the study examined the retina, a thin layer of complex tissue at the back of the eye that collects and arranges visual input. It describes how the tissue is some of the most metabolically active, needing high levels of oxygen, which can lead to oxidative stress. A lack of oxygen can make the body produce radicals, highly reactive molecules that can also lead to tissue damage and loss of sight.
Mice were treated with nitric oxide, which created oxidative stress and radicals, and found that mice who were treated with CLA did not develop retinal damage.
Aside from the energy boost caffeine in coffee can provide, other studies have shown that coffee cuts the risk of Parkinson's, prostate cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and age-related cognitive declines, the report continues. Scientists now need to explore the effect of CLA in humans to prevent retinal damage, and this new knowledge may eventually change the makeup of eye drops.
A 2010 study by the Coffee Association of Canada found that coffee consumption among adult Canadians had increased from 62%, in 2009, to 65%, with an average of 2.8 cups per consumer each day.
Source : http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/05/07/coffee-compound-linked-to-protection-of-eyesight-prevention-of-retinal-damage-and-blindness-study-finds/