In addition to delaying diabetes, coffee also fights dementia, reduces cancer risk and mortality

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In recent years, researchers have found that some substances in coffee are expected to help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but these substances have rarely been tested in animal models. In a recent study titled "Cafestol, a Bioactive Substance in Coffee, Has Antidiabetic Properties in KKAy Mice" published in the journal Journal of Natural Products, scientists at Aarhus University Hospital reported that one of the previously untested compounds seemed to improve cell function and insulin sensitivity in mice.

Substances in coffee can delay the development of diabetes in mice.

Previous studies have shown that drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Initially, scientists suspected that caffeine was responsible for this effect, but later studies have shown that other substances in coffee may play a more important role.

The team that published the new results had previously found that a compound called cafestol in coffee increased insulin secretion in islet β-cells. In addition, cafestol increases glucose uptake in muscle cells, which is as effective as a commonly used antidiabetic drug. In this study, scientists wondered whether cafestol could help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in mice.

The researchers divided mice prone to type 2 diabetes into three groups. Two groups were given different doses of cafestol. After 10 weeks, compared with the control group (which did not take cafestol), both groups fed cafestol showed lower blood glucose levels and improved insulin secretion.

It is worth mentioning that cafestol does not cause hypoglycemia, which is a possible side effect of some antidiabetic drugs. Based on these results, the researchers say that daily intake of cafestol can delay the development of type 2 diabetes in these mice. The compound is a good candidate for the development of human diabetes treatment or prevention drugs.

More and more studies have shown that coffee seems to be more than just a refreshing drink, it has a variety of potential roles in disease prevention and treatment. The following is a review of the relevant results published in 2017:

Nature Medicine: coffee may protect cardiovascular health through anti-inflammatory effects

Paper 1: Expression of specific inflammasome gene modules stratifies older individuals into two extreme clinical and immunological states

In the study, published in Nature Medicine on Jan. 16, a study from Stanford University School of Medicine found that some older people have highly activated inflammatory pathways and are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and caffeine can block this inflammatory process.

Scientific Reports: drinking coffee may fight dementia

Paper 2: Screening with an NMNAT2-MSD platform identifies small molecules that modulate NMNAT2 levels in cortical neurons

The study, published on March 7 in the journal Scientific Reports, shows that caffeine increases the level of an enzyme called NMNAT2 in the brain. The enzyme protects the brain against misfolded tau proteins. The discovery could help boost the development of drugs related to Alzheimer's disease.

BMJ Open: the more coffee you drink, the lower the risk of liver cancer

Paper 3: Coffee, including caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

The study, published on May 9 in the journal BMJ Open, found that drinking a cup of coffee a day may reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (hepatocellular cancer,HCC) by 1/5. More importantly, the researchers found that the higher the daily coffee consumption, the lower the risk of HCC: drinking five cups of coffee a day was associated with a 50 per cent reduction in HCC risk.

ESC outcome: coffee consumption is related to reduced Mortality

Reference: Higher coffee consumption associated with lower risk of death

Higher coffee consumption levels are associated with a lower risk of death, according to a study recently presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) conference. Specifically, the researchers found that participants who drank at least four cups of coffee a day had a 64% lower all-cause mortality than those who drank little or no coffee. For every two cups of coffee added every day, the risk of mortality was reduced by 22%.