Much to coffee lovers' delight, a team of researchers has identified the coffee compounds that could help ward off the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Drinking three to four cups of coffee per day can decrease the diabetes risk, according to the scientists who have identified two compounds that contribute to this health benefit.
Researchers say that this knowledge could someday help them develop new medications to better prevent and treat the disease.
Patients with type 2 diabetes become resistant to insulin, a hormone that helps turn glucose from food into energy. To overcome this resistance, the pancreas makes more insulin, but eventually, it just can't make enough.
High blood glucose levels can cause health problems, such as blindness and nerve damage. Several genetic and life style risk factors have been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, but drinking coffee has been shown to help prevent its onset.
Soren Gregersen and colleagues tested the effects of different coffee substances in rat cell lines. Cafestol and caffeic acid both increased insulin secretion when glucose was added.
The team also found that cafestol increased glucose uptake in muscle cells, matching the levels of a currently prescribed antidiabetic drug. They say cafestol's dual benefits make it a good candidate for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
However, because coffee filters eliminate much of the cafestol in drip coffee, it is likely that other compounds also contribute to these health benefits.
The study is reported in ACS' Journal of Natural Products.
