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Coffee may do more than just provide a morning boost, according to new research.
The study, conducted by Texas A&M University and published in the journal Nutrients, identified a biological pathway that could help explain links between coffee and healthier aging.
The researchers found that compounds in brewed coffee may activate NR4A1, a receptor involved in stress response, inflammation, metabolism and tissue repair.
“Coffee is consumed by large segments of the world population,” study collaborator Robert S. Chapkin, a distinguished fellow at the American Society for Nutrition, told Newsweek in an email. “It has well-documented salutary effects in humans, similar to the Mediterranean diet.”
Why It Matters
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed drinks in the world, and earlier research has linked it to lower risks of chronic diseases. The new findings may help explain why.
The researchers say their work offers “one of the first direct connections” between coffee and NR4A1, a protein studied often for its role in aging and disease.
“Coffee has well-known health-promoting properties,” Dr. Stephen Safe, distinguished professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, said in a press release.
“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.”
Chapkin told Newsweek that NR4A1 is a “nuclear receptor,” with which small molecules in coffee can engage. Chapkin compared it to a key being inserted into a lock.
“NR4A1 is the lock and coffee contains the keys,” Chapkin said. “Once NR4A1 is bound by coffee-derived small molecules, e.g., caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid, its ability to bind to DNA and regulate the expression of select genes (in the cell nucleus) is modulated.
“This partly explains how coffee can improve human health and reduce the risk of several chronic diseases of aging.”
What To Know
Researchers found that multiple compounds in coffee, including caffeic acid and other polyphenolic compounds, bind to NR4A1 and affect its activity.
Those compounds reduced cellular damage and slowed cancer cell growth in laboratory models. When NR4A1 was removed from cells, the protective effects disappeared.
“If you damage almost any tissue, NR4A1 responds to bring that damage down,” Safe explained in the release. “If you take that receptor away, the damage is worse.”
The findings do not mean coffee prevents aging or disease in humans. The researchers said their work was mechanistic, meaning it examined biological processes rather than proving direct cause-and-effect in people.
Caffeine may not be the main factor, with the researchers noting that other naturally occurring compounds in coffee appeared more active in their models.
“What we’re saying is that at least part of coffee’s health benefits may come through binding and activating this receptor,” Safe added.
Chapkin said that he isn’t a coffee drinker, but he added that Safe is.
“I’m a tea drinker, and tea also contains bioactive small molecules which can modulate NR4A1 function,” Chapkin added.
What’s Next
Safe’s team is studying synthetic compounds that target NR4A1 more effectively than natural dietary compounds, with the aim of developing possible treatments for cancer and other diseases.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Safe cautioned. “We’ve made the connection, but we need to better understand how important that connection is.”
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