According to a study from the Nestle Research Center, moderate consumption of instant coffee may boost the numbers of certain bacteria in the gut with reputed health benefits.
Consuming three cups of instant coffee a day for three weeks resulted in increased populations of Bifidobacterium, a healthy “probiotic” bacteria. The researchers stated that it is not currently known which of the components of coffee could be responsible for the effect, but they noted that both fiber and chlorogenic acids may be metabolized by the gut microbiota.
While this is an interesting result, it’s important to pay attention to the source. Until it’s confirmed or refuted by independent researchers, this study should probably be taken with a grain of salt.