Are There Health Benefits In Used Coffee Grounds?

Coffee has become a hotly debated topic in the world of health science. Is it good for you or is it bad for you and how much should you be drinking?

New findings published in the ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry examine how coffee-grounds are chock-full of rich antioxidants that can help provide some of the health benefits associated with our favorite morning beverage.

Coffee is naturally rich in a wide variety of antioxidants, including dietary phenolic compounds. Furthermore, previous studies have shown that coffee can even help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular issues and numerous other health problems.

For the study, researchers specifically looked to figure out the total amount of phenolic content in the extracts of leftover coffee grounds.

Then, they used three different methods to release antioxidants from spent grounds and found high levels of phenols in the extracts, with somewhat higher levels in brewed coffee.

However, they have the potential to serve as additives to enhance the potential health effects of other food products, the scientists concluded.