Coffee lovers, rejoice! A new study shows drinking coffee and green tea may help delay age-related brown spots, or hyperpigmentation.
Specifically, the research shows it is the consumption of polyphenols, found in coffee and green tea, that alleviates skin photoageing.
What are polyphenols?
Polyphenols are plant-based micronutrients packed with antioxidants and other potential health benefits. Coffee is the largest source of polyphenols in the diet; green tea is second. These compounds naturally occur in the beverages and contribute to their unique flavours and aromas. Researchers found that these phytochemicals found in coffee and green tea may be beneficial to alleviate photoageing and suppress age spots.
In the study, published in the February 2020 issue of the journal Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey of 244 healthy Japanese women (aged 30 to 60 years) to determine if there is an association between the consumption of total polyphenols (TPs) and hyperpigmentation of facial skin.
Skin was assessed by a facial photoimage analyser. The device counted the number, rated the degree of pigmentation and relative size of age spots.
The findings suggest that higher consumption of TPs can be advantageous to mitigate photoageing of the skin, and coffee, as well as, green tea contribute to suppressing skin hyperpigmentation by adding large amounts of TPs in the diet.
Individuals who consumed large amounts of polyphenols from a combination of coffee and tea exhibited the lowest number of pigmented spots, according to lead researcher Yoichi Fukushima.
Hyperpigmentation of the skin can occur at any age depending on a variety of genetic and environmental factors, but its intensity increases during adolescence in Japanese females and gradually develops further in adults, according to Fukushima, who suggests “adding large amounts of tea phenols in the diet.”
The results have brought a whole new level to the phrase, “But first, coffee”.
