Does coffee contain any anti-oxidants?

Scientific research has demonstrated that a serving of coffee contains up to four times as much anti-oxidant activity as a serving of green tea, and that each cup of coffee has a large amount of anti-oxidant "polyphenols" in its roasted form -- whose strength is not diminished by adding creamers or by decaffeination.

Through the protective effects of anti-oxidants, scientists believe it may be possible to prevent, postpone or limit a number of degenerative diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, cataracts, and diseases of the nervous system.

Indeed, epidemiological studies have already shown that intake of polyphenols in the diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in an elderly population and in a cross-cultural population.

Chlorogenic acid is the most prominent polyphenol in coffee, though there are others. Robusta coffee can contain up to 7-10% chlorogenic acid, where the concentration in Arabica coffee is slightly less at 5-7%. That means a cup of coffee can contain anywhere from 15 to 325 milligrams of chlorogenic acid, depending on the composition and method of preparation.

Another polyphenol found in coffee (caffeic acid) has been found to effectively protect cells against oxidation and also directly contributed to the anti-oxidant system in clinical tests on laboratory animals.

coffeescience.org