From longer life, to better brain, liver and metabolic health, coffee’s reputation as a healthy beverage keeps getting stronger. Now researchers may have uncovered one of the cellular mechanisms behind its benefits, and caffeine appears to be far from the most important player.

Caffeic acid is a component of coffee, and a growing body of research indicates it may be responsible for many of the health benefits on coffee’s growing list. The biggest are due to its unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier that make it a powerful preventive measure…