What is Coffee?
Coffee is by far the most heavenly beverage ever drank by man. It also is a very complex drink filled with lots of different chemicals. However, it is important to remember that it is more than 98% water. The following is a list of the major substances found in roasted coffee. Keep in mind it is not definitive. This information is taken from Rinantonio Viani's chapter "The Composition of Coffee" found in Caffeine, Coffee, and Health which is edited by S. Garattini.
|
Purine Alkaloids
|
Minerals |
Bases |
Chlorogenic Acids |
| Caffeine |
Calcium |
Betaine |
(3-; 4-; 5-) Chlorogenic acid |
| Liverine |
Magnesium |
Choline |
(3,4-; 3,5-; 4,5-) Dicaffeoylquinic acid |
| Methylliberine |
Phosphate ; |
Niacin |
< Feruloylquinic 5-) 4-; (3-;> |
| Paraxanthine |
Potassium |
Trigonelline |
| Theacrine |
Sulphate |
| Theobromine |
| Theophylline |
| Lipids |
Aliphatic Acids |
Carbohydrates |
| Diterpene esters
(mainly cafestol and kahweol palmitate and linoleate) |
Acetic |
Arabinose |
| Free dietepenes
(mainly cafestol and kahweol) |
C3-C10 |
Fructose |
| Free fatty acids |
Citric |
Galactose |
| Hydrocarbons
(mainly squalane and nonacosane) |
Formic |
Glucose |
| 5-hydroxytryptamides |
Fumaric |
Inositol |
| Phospholipids |
Lactic |
Mannitol |
| Tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma-isomers) |
Malic |
Mannose |
| Triglycerides (mainly esters of linoleic and palmitic acids) |
Oxalic ; |
<> |
| Triterpene, sterols and methylsterol esters |
Quinic and quinides |
Xylose |
|
