How your coffee habit could prevent the onset of diabetes

Compounds in coffee may reduce type 2 diabetes risk

A new study has revealed just how much coffee you need to be drinking to ward off type 2 diabetes.

 

Even though many studies claim too much of the caffeine drink is bad for your health, researchers from the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark recently discovered three to four cups a day could lower the risk of developing the condition.

It’s not the first time that coffee has been said to help to delay the onset of the disease. 

Previously, caffeine was linked to the delayed development of type 2 diabetes, but studies have shown it has only a short-term effect on glucose and insulin, and decaffeinated coffee has the same effect as the regular version of the drink.

 

Two compounds increased insulin production in the presence of glucose

That lead researchers to look at other potential responsible components in greater detail.

There are more than 1,000 chemical compounds in coffee, but while most of them had little or no significant effects, two compounds - cafestol and caffein acid - threw out some intriguing results to the research team. 

The study found that cafestol and caffein acid increased insulin production in the presence of glucose. 

 



One compound had a similar effect to an antidiabetic drug



Cafestol was also found to increase glucose uptake in muscle cells, matching the levels of a currently prescribed antidiabetic drug.

Lead researcher Søren Gregersen said: "This newly demonstrated dual action of cafestol suggests that it may contribute to the preventive effects on type 2 diabetes in coffee drinkers.”

Other studies have suggested that cafestol, which makes up 0.5 per cent of the dry weight of coffee beans, has anti-carcinogenic effects and neuroprotective role in Parkinson’s disease.

 

Researchers say this study may help prevent diabetes risk

However, because coffee filters eliminate much of the cafestol in drip coffee, it is likely that other compounds also contribute to these health benefits.

Researchers say that this knowledge could someday help them develop new medications to better prevent and treat the disease.