Espresso coffee prevents Alzheimer's tau protein clumping in lab tests

Whether enjoyed on its own or mixed into a latte, Americano or even a martini, espresso provides an ultra-concentrated jolt of caffeine to coffee lovers. But it might do more than just wake you up. Research shows that, in preliminary in vitro laboratory tests, espresso compounds can inhibit tau protein aggregation—a process that is believed to be involved in the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Recent research has suggested that coffee could also have beneficial effects against certain neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Although the exact mechanisms that cause these conditions are still unclear, it's thought that a protein called tau plays a significant role.

In healthy people, tau proteins help stabilize structures in the brain, but when certain diseases develop, the proteins can clump together into fibrils. Some researchers propose that preventing this aggregation could alleviate symptoms. So, Mariapina D'Onofrio and colleagues wanted to see if compounds in espresso could prevent tau aggregation in vitro.

The researchers pulled espresso shots from store-bought beans, then characterized their chemical makeup using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. They chose caffeine and trigonelline, both alkaloids, the flavonoid genistein and theobromine, a compound also found in chocolate, to focus on in further experiments. These molecules, along with the complete espresso extract, were incubated alongside a shortened form of the tau protein for up to 40 hours.

As the concentration of espresso extract, caffeine or genistein increased, fibrils were shorter and didn't form larger sheets, with the complete extract showing the most dramatic results. Shortened fibrils were found to be non-toxic to cells, and they did not act as "seeds" for further aggregation.

In other experiments, the researchers observed that caffeine and the espresso extract could both bind pre-formed tau fibrils.

I found this…

The difference between espresso and coffee comes down to the way they are prepared, rather than the actual beans. In general, espresso beans are roasted for a long time (dark roast), have a fine grind and require high pressure to create an ounce or two of concentrated coffee. Regular coffee beans are roasted for a shorter time than espresso beans, have a coarse grind and are great for brewing techniques that don’t involve high-pressure.

And this…

Coffees used for espresso have traditionally been blends of two, three, or even four coffees.
Back in the day, before the specialty coffee movement, most coffees were roasted dark, whether they were super high quality or not. The goal was to sort of eliminate the outlier flavors and acids to produce a coffee that was rounded, balanced, and not too crazy. By blending multiple coffees, roasters were able to create more consistency with their espressos, because even if one coffee had a really odd flavor, it would hardly be noticeable as long as the other two were pretty smooth.
Traditionally, espresso blends have focused a lot on avoiding bad flavors, rather than highlighting delicious ones. And frankly, it makes sense. The specialty coffee movement has elevated coffee quality dramatically over the last few years, and what they were drinking a century ago was not really all that tasty. However, modern blends work a little differently.
Specialty roasters these days try to pair just two or three coffees that have complimenting flavors. For example, an earthy Mexican and a floral Kenyan coffee can pair really well. Since the flavors take up different areas on the spectrum, they don’t run into each other to create a “muddy” profile. Instead, it’s clear and harmonious.
There still is an element of “risk management” when it comes to blends though. You see, now that we’re roasting coffee lighter these days, those single origin coffees tend to be a little more wild and flavorful. This can make them harder to control in the espresso machine.
By blending coffees, roasters are able to make espresso more approachable and consistent, but the focus is still on the positive flavors (rather than avoiding bad ones).
Well-crafted blends can create complex flavor experiences by carefully blending flavors from two or three different coffees. They’re interesting, well-rounded, and often taste more “full” than single origins.

I’ve used espresso coffee in my pour-over Kalita drip filter with good success. I brew at 206F.

So, unless the roasting process (longer time and higher temp) has major influence, it sounds like regular old coffee should have the same effect on the tau protein.

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