Scientists now claim that a regular cup of coffee could work better at keeping blood sugar in check than acarbose, a widely prescribed diabetes medication.
New research published in Beverage Plant Research found that certain compounds in roasted Arabica coffee target the very same digestive enzyme that the drug does.
It's brilliant news for the millions managing type 2 diabetes who depend on injections and tablets to stabilise their glucose levels. The discovery could eventually change how we think about controlling blood sugar after meals.
The team used a three-step extraction process to isolate three previously unknown substances from the coffee.
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Diabetes has become the fastest-growing health crisis in the UK
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They've named them caffaldehydes A, B and C, and all three showed impressive results at blocking alpha-glucosidase.
This enzyme is crucial for breaking down carbohydrates during the digestion process. When it's inhibited, glucose gets released into the bloodstream much more slowly after eating.
It's essentially the same mechanism that makes acarbose effective for patients with diabetes.
The compounds help prevent those sharp spikes in blood sugar that typically follow a meal, which is what people with type 2 diabetes need to manage.
Diabetes has become the fastest-growing health crisis in the UK.
Almost 4.3 million people were living with the condition in 2021/22, according to the latest figures.
The surge among younger people is also causing great concern, as rising obesity rates have driven a 39 per cent increase in type 2 diabetes cases among the under-40s.
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Around 90 per cent of all diabetes cases are type 2, which is typically linked to excess weight and diagnosed later in life.
That's quite different from type 1, a genetic condition that's usually spotted during childhood.
Previous large-scale studies have already shown that people who drink coffee regularly tend to have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The evidence suggests that each additional cup per day may reduce that risk even further.
The sweet spot appears to be between three and five cups daily
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The sweet spot appears to be between three and five cups daily, which has been consistently linked to the greatest health benefits.
Researchers believe this discovery could open doors for developing 'functional foods' that naturally help lower glucose levels while offering other health perks.
With more than 400 million people worldwide affected by type 2 diabetes, finding new ways to manage blood sugar is crucial.
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