Most people love coffee for its taste and tonic effect, but few know that the chlorogenic acid in its composition plays a crucial role in this extremely popular drink. The properties of this chemical compound in many respects form the gamut of rich aroma and exquisite taste, which its many admirers are so enthusiastic about. In addition, this substance, according to recent scientific studies, brings our body a lot of biological and physiological dividends. However, first things first.
From the point of view of organic chemistry, chlorogenic acid is a depid with caffeinated esterified hydroxyl at the third carbon atom of quinic acid. Such a chemical compound is present in many plants, but it is most important in coffee beans because of their extreme prevalence. They contain about seven percent of chlorogenic acid. Recently it has been established that the leaves of eucommia, a deciduous tree reaching a height of twenty meters, can serve as a good source of this substance.
Chlorogenic acid has an important function in the enzymatic and oxidative processes of various plant cells. But it also brings many benefits to our body. Chlorogenic acid, efficiently and safely burning fat, contributes to the acquisition of a slim figure. In addition, this chemical compound improves metabolic processes in the liver, which performs an important function in the breakdown of all fats that enter our body. Chlorogenic acid also works as a specific regulator of blood sugar.
It is this acid that is able at an accelerated pace to convert excess fat reserves into clean energy, which is especially important for people seeking to lose weight. Another useful quality of this substance is its ability to slow down the process of splitting carbohydrates, which can also be deposited on problem areas of the body (hips, abdomen, sides) in the form of a fat layer.
Chlorogenic acid was first discovered by the Russian botanist and public figure A.S. Famintsin in 1893 on slices of sunflower cotyledons through a qualitative microchemical reaction. The wide distribution of this chemical compound among higher plants (it was found in 98 out of 230 studied samples) attracted the close attention of scientists who began to study its biological role in the life and development of plant organisms.
So, it was found that chlorogenic acid (you can buy it in a pure synthesized form, in which it is a white crystalline powder) takes an active part in the regulation of fetal maturation, acting as an inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation. It is also known that this chemical compound is extremely toxic to certain types of pathogenic microorganisms that cause many different plant diseases. For example, in rice, an increase in the biosynthesis of chlorogenic acid serves as a natural response to microbial infections.
Not so long ago, an important medical discovery was made by Chinese scientists. After a series of studies, they found that this biologically active substance, due to its unique ability to block toxic proteins, can in the future become the basis of the drug for the prevention and treatment of diabetes.