Coffee compound may prevent type 2 diabetes

Coffee compound may prevent type 2 diabetes
Drinking coffee may help to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes, say, researchers.
Your morning coffee could help to stave off type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests, but it's not down to the caffeine content.
Researchers have found that cafestol - a bioactive compound present in coffee - increased insulin secretion, reduced fasting glucose levels, and improved insulin sensitivity in mice.
Study co-author Fredrik Brustad Mellbye, of the Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues recently reported their results in the Journal of Natural Products.
Type 2 diabetes arises when the body is no longer able to produce enough insulin or use the hormone effectively. As a result, blood glucose levels may become too high.
It is estimated that around 30.3 million people in the United States have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for around 90 to 95 percent of all cases.

Four cups of coffee a day may slash death risk
Research suggests that consuming four cups of coffee per day could reduce the risk of premature death.

Previous research has indicated that drinking coffee may help to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While some studies have attributed this association to the effects of caffeine - the well-known stimulant in coffee - other research has suggested that alternative substances in the beverage might be at play.
The new study from Mellbye and colleagues supports the latter theory, after finding that the coffee compound cafestol improved markers of type 2 diabetes in mouse models.
Cafestol: An antidiabetic drug?
To reach their findings, the team assessed three groups of mice, all of which were at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
For a total of 10 weeks, one group was fed a daily dose of 1.1 milligrams of cafestol, one group was fed 0.4 milligrams of cafestol daily, while the third group did not receive the compound (the controls).
After the 10 weeks, the researchers found that both groups that were fed cafestol experienced a 28 to 30 percent reduction in blood glucose levels, compared with the control group.
Also, mice fed the higher dose of cafestol showed a 42 percent improvement in insulin sensitivity, compared with the control group, as well as a 20 percent reduction in fasting glucagon, which is the hormone that increases blood glucose levels.
After the 10-week study period, the researchers isolated islets of Langerhans - which are pancreatic cells that normally produce insulin - from each group of mice.
The team found that the islets isolated from mice fed cafestol demonstrated a 75 to 87 percent increase in insulin production, compared with islets isolated from the control group.
According to Mellbye and colleagues, their findings show that "cafestol possesses antidiabetic properties" in mice at high risk for the disease.

"Consequently, cafestol may contribute to the reduced risk of developing T2D [type 2 diabetes] in coffee consumers and has a potential role as an antidiabetic drug.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Breast cancer charities: How to make an impact

Breast cancer charities: How to make an impact With thousands of charities competing for donations, it can be difficult to know where a financial gift to a good cause will make the biggest impact. This article outlines the top  breast cancer  charities in the United States and their specific contributions to the cause, plus other factors to keep in mind before donating. The history of the pink ribbon The pink ribbon is a symbol of breast cancer and is often sold to raise money for breast cancer charities. Breast cancer activist and survivor Charlotte Hayley inspired the design of the pink ribbon, which is still in use today. Hayley initially handed out peach-coloured looped ribbons that she made herself with a card stating: "The National Cancer Institute's annual budget is $1.8 billion, only 5 percent goes for  cancer  prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon." In 1991, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundati...
Read more

Lung cancer and cough: What is the connection?

Image
Lung cancer and cough: What is the connection? Everyone has experienced a nagging cough after a cold or needed to cough while in a quiet room. Despite these problems, coughing actually serves a very valuable and useful purpose. Coughing is a protective action, helping the lungs clear out potential germs or harmful objects.  Sometimes, however, that cough is not linked to a cold or infection and can linger for weeks to months at a time. This may lead people to wonder or worry that their cough is a sign of something more serious, such as  lung cancer . This article takes a look at the connection between coughing and lung cancer, including when someone should see a doctor. Coughing and lung cancer A cough associated with lung cancer may be either dry or wet. Not every a cough signifies the presence of lung cancer. However, many people do complain of a chronic cough or a "cough that just won't go away" at the time of their diagnosis. If a cough is associate...
Read more

For people with Type 2 diabetes, there is an additional incentive for keeping the disease under management

For people with Type 2 diabetes, there is an additional incentive for keeping the disease under management  Research shows a possible link between diabetes and cognitive decline, including increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. The scientific reason behind the link between diabetes and brain health is complex. Some scientists believe people with diabetes may also have insulin resistance or insulin deficiency that could damage brain cells enough to cause memory loss. Studies are underway to understand why 80 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease also have some form of diabetes or disturbed glucose metabolism. However, so far, longitudinal research has not produced a consensus view regarding the link between blood glucose levels and cognitive impairment. Meanwhile, in South Florida, medical professionals are working with diabetic patients to minimize the risk of cognitive decline through a variety of methods that include lifestyle, medical and mental-...
Read more