That morning coffee may be doing more than people thought.
A new study found compounds in coffee bind to a receptor called NR4A1, a protein linked to ageing, stress response and disease. The researchers said the finding points to a mechanism through which coffee may help protect the body against age-related decline.
While past research has linked coffee consumption to longer life and a lower risk of chronic disease, the study said exactly how those benefits happen has remained unclear until now.
Researchers at Texas A and M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in the United States found that compounds in coffee bind to NR4A1, which is linked to ageing, stress regulation, inflammation and cellular repair.
“Coffee has well-known health-promoting properties,” said Stephen Safe, from VMBS. “What we’ve shown is that some of those effects may be linked to how coffee compounds interact with this receptor, which is involved in protecting the body from stress-induced damage.”
NR4A1 is a nuclear receptor that helps regulate gene activity in response to stress and damage in the body. The researchers described it as a “nutrient sensor”, a receptor that responds to compounds found in the diet and plays a role in maintaining health as the body ages.
The protein helps manage inflammation, energy levels and tissue repair, all of which are linked to preventing conditions such as cancer and cognitive decline, the study said.
In the study, the researchers found specific coffee compounds, particularly polyphenols and polyhydroxylated constituents, bind to the receptor and influence its activity. The team also found these compounds could affect disease protection, including reducing cellular damage and slowing cancer cell growth.
When NR4A1 was removed from cells, those protective effects disappeared, supporting the receptor’s role in mediating coffee’s impact.
“If you damage almost any tissue, NR4A1 responds to bring that damage down,” Safe said. “If you take that receptor away, the damage is worse.”
The researchers said coffee’s health effects are not limited to one pathway and warned more work is needed.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Safe said. “We’ve made the connection, but we need to better understand how important that connection is.”
The mechanisms behind coffee’s health effects are being widely investigated. A recent study found moderate caffeinated coffee intake was associated with reduced anxiety and improved vigilance and attention. It also linked caffeine to a reduced risk of inflammation.
That research also found people who drank decaffeinated coffee experienced improved learning and memory, suggesting components other than caffeine, such as polyphenols, are responsible for those cognitive benefits.
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