Decaffeinated Coffee Boosts Brain Function in Diabetics

NEW YORKConsuming decaffeinated coffee may improve brain energy metabolism associated with type 2 diabetes that increased the risk of dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimers disease, according to a study published online in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience.

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine investigated whether dietary supplementation with a standardized decaffeinated coffee preparation prior to diabetes onset might improve insulin resistance and glucose utilization in mice with diet-induced type 2 diabetes. The researchers administered the supplement for five months, and evaluated the brains genetic response in the mice. They found the brain was able to more effectively metabolize glucose and use it for cellular energy in the brain. Glucose utilization in the brain is reduced in people with type 2 diabetes, which can often result in neurocognitive problems.

Impaired energy metabolism in the brain is known to be tightly correlated with cognitive decline during aging and in subjects at high risk for developing neurodegenerative disorders," the researchers said. This is the first evidence showing the potential benefits of decaffeinated coffee preparations for both preventing and treating cognitive decline caused by type 2 diabetes, aging, and/or neurodegenerative disorders."