Tuesday July 1, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Chronic coffee consumption has been associated with reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus.  A new animal study confirms that coffee consumption can help prevent weight gain and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In the study led by researchers at University of Braunschweig in Braunschweig, Germany, male mice drank regular coffee or water ad libitum for 35 weeks.  Obesity and diabetes mellitus were observed in mice eating a high fat diet (55% fat).  Controls ate a normal diet with 9% fat.

Coffee consumption showered weight gain in high fat diet fed mice in a dose-dependent manner, that is, higher intake of coffee was associated with less weight gain.  In mice fed the normal diet, coffee drinking prevented the moderate weight gain which was observed in mice that did not drink coffee.

Mice eating the high fat diet did not drink as much coffee as those eating the low fat diet did.

Coffee drinking affected insulin sensitivity.  In mice fed the high fat diet, coffee drinking resulted in a dose-dependent faster decline of elevated blood sugar levels on week 21 of the feeding trial.  This was not observed in mice fed on the low fat diet.  (Probably, mice fed the low fat diet did not cause any insulin resistance in the first place).  Coffee drinking was also linked to a spontaneous decrease in non-fasting glycaemia that occurred after 21 weeks in all mice receiving coffee.

At week 39, coffee drinking mice diminished peak of blood sugar levels.

High fat diet fed mice were seen also to produce more insulin (indicating insulin resistance) and had enlarged islets and coffee consumption did not affect the size of islets and beta-cell apoptosis, proliferation etc.

The study concluded "Coffee consumption retarded weight gain and improved glucose tolerance in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes and corresponding controls."  (David Liu, PHD)

Rustenbeck I, Lier-Glaubitz V, Willenborg M, Eggert F, Engelhardt U, Jörns A.  Effect of chronic coffee consumption on weight gain and glycaemia in a mouse model of obesity and type 2 diabetes.  Nutrition and Diabetes. 2014 Jun 30;4:e123. doi: 10.1038/nutd.2014.19.