Some Chinese Researchers have recently made studies to zero in on coffee substances that may explain why it reduces the risk of Diabetes. For a long time, coffee drinking has been linked with a reduced risk of diabetes, and now these Chinese researchers think they may know why. The three compounds found in coffee seem to block the toxic accumulation of a protein linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Researcher Kun Huang, PhD, a professor of biological pharmacy at the Huazhong University of Science & Technology said, ”We found three major coffee compounds can reverse this toxic process and may explain why coffee drinking is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.”

Looking at their studies, I noted that they have found that people who drink four or more cups of coffee a day have a 50% lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes. The new study of the Chinese researchers has been published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Latest Diabetes News – Why coffee may reduce Diabetes Risk

It has been established that type 2 diabetes is the most common type. In those who have it, it comes as a result of the body not having enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. In my research about the hormone insulin, I have found out that this hormone made by the pancreas, is crucial to move glucose to the cells for energy.

According to an article by Kathleen Doheny, “Some researchers have linked the ”misfolding” of a protein called hIAPP (human islet amyloid polypeptide) with an increased risk of diabetes. HIAPP is similar to the amyloid protein implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. When these HIAPP deposits accumulate, they can lead to the death of cells in the pancreas.”

The Chinese researchers looked at three major active compounds in coffee and their effect on stopping the toxic accumulation of the protein:

Caffeine

Caffeic acid or CA

Chlorogenic acid or CGA

“We exposed hIAPP to coffee extracts, and found caffeine, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid all inhibited the formation of toxic hIAPP amyloid and protected the pancreatic cells,” said researcher Huang. All three had an effect. However, caffeic acid was best. Caffeine was the least good of the three. Those results suggest decaf coffee works, too, to reduce risk, Huang says. “In decaffeinated coffee, the percentage contents of caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid are even higher [than in regular coffee], whereas the level of caffeine is greatly reduced.”

“We expect that decaffeinated coffee has at least equal or even higher beneficial effect compared to the regular caffeinated types,” Huang says. The studies also revealed that patients who already have diabetes can use decaf which has been found to be better for them than regular coffee. The National Basic Research Program of China, the Natural Science Foundation of China, and other non-industry sources funded the research. I think this was a very vital study and can really be beneficial to anyone.

In conclusion this is interesting diabetes news, it has been seen that explaining the reduced risk of type 2 diabetes among coffee drinkers, should be an ongoing effort, as explained by Vivian Fonseca, MD, president for medicine and science for the American Diabetes Association.