Contributions by: Claudine Campa, UMR IPME, France; and Arnaud Petitvallet, Wize Monkey, Canada; Adriana Farah, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Ting Zhang, China University of Geosciences and Huanggang Normal University, China; Xiaojian Lv, Yin Xu, Lanying Xu and Tao Long, Huanggang Normal University, China; Chi-Tang Ho, Rutgers University, USA; and Shiming Li, Huanggang Normal University, China and Rutgers University, USA; Chung S. Yang, Rutgers University, USA
Description
This collection features four peer-reviewed reviews on the nutritional and health benefits of beverage crops.
The first chapter introduces the importance of coffee leaves, highlighting their high antioxidant potential and impact on fruit quality. The chapter provides an inventory of molecules identified in the leaves of cultivated coffee trees, as well as the beneficial effects of these molecules on human health.
The second chapter considers the nutritional and health-related aspects of regular coffee consumption, focussing on its ability to prevent the onset of chronic diseases. The chapter also highlights that above-average consumption of coffee can lead to the development of side effects, including caffeine tolerance, dependence and withdrawal.
The third chapter discusses the main phytochemicals contained in tea, including polyphenols, amino acids, vitamins, carbohydrates and purine alkaloids. The chapter reviews the current analytical techniques available for tea characterisation, such as chromatic and spectroscopic techniques.
The final chapter explores the beneficial health effects of consuming tea on a regular basis. The chapter considers the potential role for tea in combatting chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the possible mechanisms of actions of tea constituents.
Key Features
- Addresses the development of avoidable health conditions as a result of consuming too much coffee, such as caffeine dependence and withdrawal
- Provides a comprehensive review of the human health benefits of consuming tea and/or coffee on a regular basis in measured quantities, including the lowering of blood cholesterol and blood pressure
- Reviews a selection of analytical techniques available to identify the presence of key phytochemicals
Publication Date: 23/05/2023