Studies Show Green Coffee Beans Control Blood Sugar Levels

Helen Holmes April 10, 2013

Most people, if not all, know that drinking coffee does have plenty of benefits. In a new study, researchers studied unroasted coffee beans and found amazing health benefits too, particularly in diabetes management and weight control.

Diabetes has been a major health problem in the UK. Since 1996, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes has increased from 1.4 million to 2.9 million. By 2025, health experts predict that 5 million people will have diabetes – according to the charity Diabetes UK. In Australia, less than 1 million suffer from the same disease, around 250,000 of which have started taking insulin to manage their blood sugar levels, as provided by the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare.

Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar levels either because his pancreas fail to produce the required amount of insulin or because the cells are not able to utilise the insulin that is produced. There is no cure that will reverse the effects of diabetes, however, there are plenty of ways to manage this condition and sustain the blood sugar levels of the patient.

Green Coffee Bean and Diabetes

In an American study led by Joe Vinson, PhD., Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Scranton, PA, researchers discovered a potential natural treatment that can help control blood sugar and at the same time, foster weight loss. They were referring to the chlorogenic acids that are extracted from unroasted coffee bean. Vinson presented substantial evidences that green coffee extract, which is widely available as a dietary supplement, may be a potential treatment for type 2 diabetes.

In a previous study, Prof Vinson found that overweight people who took green coffee extract for 22 weeks lost about 10 per cent of their weight. For the current study, the researchers tested the effects of different doses of a commercial green coffee extract on 56 men and women with normal blood sugar levels. Prior the experiment, participants went through a glucose tolerance test to determine how their bodies respond to sugar. Then, they took 100, 200, 300 or 400mg of green coffee extract for over a period of time.

The researchers found a significant dose-response effect on the green coffee extract. There were also no apparent gastrointestinal effects, according to Prof Vinson. All doses of the green coffee extract produced a significant improvement in the blood sugar levels of the participants.

Studies on Chlorogenic Acids

Chlorogenic acids are a family of substances that occur in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including apples, dried plums, cherries, and coffee beans. Prof Vinson pointed out that coffee is a major source of chlorogenic acids because of its popularity as a beverage.

He cited a study that indicated a 50 per cent risk reduction of type 2 diabetes among people who drank 7 cups of coffee a day as compared to those who only drank 2 cups. He stressed the role of chlorogenic acids for this effect. The problem is – roasting coffee beans lead to the reduction in the amount of the beneficial acids. This is why the researchers give more credits to the concentrated extract from green coffee bean.

"A simple natural pill or capsule that would both help control blood sugar and foster weight loss at the same time would be a major advance in the treatment of type 2 diabetes” Vinson said.

Source of this article:

New evidence that natural substances in green coffee beans help control blood sugar levels