Good news for Costa Rican coffee producers

Coffee emerges in study as the major source of antioxidants

Special to A.M. Costa Rica

There's good news for Costa Rican coffee producers.

That steaming cup of coffee is also the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. The study was described at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

"Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close," says study leader Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the university. Although fruits and vegetables are generally promoted as good sources of antioxidants, the new finding is surprising because it represents the first time that coffee has been shown to be the primary source from which most Americans get their antioxidants, Vinson said. Both caffeinated and decaf versions appear to provide similar antioxidant levels, he added.

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