“Turkish Coffee is not harmful to your health, it is beneficial”

We are used to studies revealing the benefits of coffee, but recently a study claiming that Turkish coffee is harmful has been published and has been the subject of news. Head of the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department at Istanbul Okan University, food engineer Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlkay Gök opposed this research.

“In recent years, it has been discovered that Turkish coffee has important benefits for human health. However, in news reports based on a study, it was claimed that coffee beans and cafestol are high in brewing methods that are not filtered, such as Turkish coffee, and that these two components are harmful to our health by increasing our cholesterol. The study in question uses the results of simple studies conducted before 2000. However, current studies have proven that such old studies are no longer valid,” he said.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlkay Gök, stated that they completed an experimental study on the total antioxidant capacity, phenolic compounds and sensory analysis of Turkish coffee and filter coffee with the thesis students of Gastronomy Master's Degree at Istanbul Okan University: "In the research that we will publish soon, we determined that Turkish coffee has higher antioxidant and phenolic compounds. In other words, consuming Turkish coffee supports our health."

Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlkay Gök continued his explanation as follows: “In a few old studies before 2000, it was stated that Turkish coffee prepared without filter paper or “French press” coffee contains high amounts of cafestol and kahweol and therefore is harmful because it may increase triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels. These explanations are not included in the new study results. On the contrary, there are many more new scientific studies explaining the health benefits of these two components depending on the brewing techniques. New studies show that cafestol and kahweol have antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory effects, and protective effects against cancer and toxic substances.

“Consuming 2-3 cups of coffee daily helps fight depression”

Studies have identified the important health effects of the four main components of coffee, caffeine, chlorogenic acid, cafestol and kahweol. According to the results of the study, it was stated that consuming 2-3 cups of coffee per day is safe, that coffee supports metabolic and mental health, is enjoyable and increases alertness, helps fight high blood pressure and depression, and can prevent some chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, some types of cancer such as liver cancer and degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular diseases.

Source: HORECA TREND and Istanbul Okan University Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department