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Reliable data on coffee consumption is essential for nutrition and health studies, but self-reporting by participants can be unreliable. To address this issue, researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich have identified a promising new biomarker derived from roasted coffee, offering a practical solution for objectively verifying individual coffee intake.
In a study led by principal investigator Roman Lang, the research team sought to validate the suitability of a specific roasted coffee compound, N-methylpyridinium, as a biomarker for coffee consumption. This compound, initially proposed as a biomarker candidate in 2011, has now undergone comprehensive validation to confirm its potential as a reliable indicator of coffee intake.
“Reliable biomarkers could provide an objective measure to distinguish between coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers,” explains Lang. “Despite previous research, few substances have been sufficiently validated for this purpose.”
To evaluate the efficacy of N-methylpyridinium as a biomarker, the team analyzed data from over 460 individuals who participated in a nutrition study conducted in Freising and Nuremberg. Their findings indicate that N-methylpyridinium is specific to roasted Arabica and Robusta coffee, making it a promising candidate for tracking coffee consumption.
Moreover, N-methylpyridinium demonstrates several characteristics essential for an effective biomarker. It is chemically stable, concentration-dependent, and easily detectable in various body fluids following coffee consumption. Importantly, the compound is excreted unchanged in urine within a few hours to days, allowing for reliable tracking of coffee intake.
“While we cannot directly quantify the amount of coffee consumed, N-methylpyridinium serves as a practical marker to distinguish coffee drinkers from non-coffee drinkers objectively,” Lang elaborates. “This compound fulfills all the criteria necessary for a biomarker to monitor food intake reliably.”
The validation of N-methylpyridinium as a biomarker for coffee consumption offers significant implications for nutrition and health studies. By providing a robust and practical tool for assessing coffee intake, researchers can improve the accuracy and validity of data, leading to enhanced insights into the health effects of coffee on human metabolism.
Moving forward, the research team plans to further investigate the utility of N-methylpyridinium in larger-scale studies and explore its application in other areas of research. With its potential to revolutionize how coffee consumption is measured, this biomarker holds promise for advancing our understanding of the impact of coffee on human health.
