Coffee ingredients may help curb blood sugar spikes

Researchers examining roasted Arabica coffee beans have identified three previously unknown compounds that can slow an enzyme linked to carbohydrate digestion. The finding gives scientists new substances to study in the search for ways to reduce sharp post-meal increases in blood sugar.

The enzyme, alpha-glucosidase, breaks carbohydrates down into simpler sugars that the body can absorb. Because slowing that process is already part of diabetes treatment, scientists often screen compounds for their ability to inhibit the enzyme.

The work, led by the Kunming Institute of Botany, was published in Beverage Plant Research. It began with extracts from roasted beans, which contain many compounds that are difficult to assess all at once.

The team first separated the extract into smaller fractions and tested each one for enzyme-inhibiting activity. That approach helped them focus on the portions most likely to contain useful compounds.

To determine the structures of the active ingredients, the researchers used analytical instruments that reveal information about molecular weight and atomic arrangement. By combining those measurements, they were able to distinguish new compounds from others already known in coffee.

They isolated three substances and named them caffaldehydes A, B and C. The compounds belong to the diterpene class, which includes naturally occurring substances found in coffee beans.

In related diabetes research, scientists are also evaluating a new daily pill for blood sugar control.

All three compounds showed measurable inhibition of the enzyme in laboratory tests. Their potency differed, with the concentration needed to reduce activity by half ranging from about 18 to 45 micromoles per liter.

The researchers also compared the compounds with acarbose, a drug used in type 2 diabetes that slows carbohydrate digestion. Such comparisons under identical test conditions help scientists gauge relative strength, though effects in the body also depend on factors such as dosage and metabolism.

Using similarities in the signals they had already identified, the team found evidence of three additional related compounds in smaller quantities. This suggests that a property-guided search can uncover less abundant ingredients as well.

The study tested purified substances against an enzyme and did not examine blood sugar levels in people. It also did not determine how much of each compound would be present in brewed coffee or whether they would remain active during digestion.

Further studies will be needed to assess safety and to see whether the compounds can affect blood sugar in a living body. For now, the discovery offers starting points for future work and a method for identifying other active components in a complex food.

If you are interested in this topic, please read articles about The Complicated Relationship Between Coffee and Diabetes, and Caffeine Could Help Reduce Body Fat and Diabetes Risk.

For more information, please see articles about Cinnamon Could Help Control Blood Sugar and Cholesterol in Diabetes, and How to Lower High Blood Sugar Safely Without Insulin Simple Methods That Can Help.