Coffee Compounds May Work Stronger than Diabetes Drugs? Here's the Explanation from Experts

JAKARTA - Coffee is currently not only used as a drink to prevent drowsiness and increase energy. Coffee is now also said to have the potential to help control blood sugar levels, especially in diabetics.

Scientists have discovered that a new compound in coffee that works in laboratory tests is more powerful than commonly used type 2 diabetes drugs.

The findings come from a recent study published in the journal Beverage Plant Research. The research was led by Minghua Qui of the Kunming Insititute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who studied roasted coffee beans Coffea arabica.

The results of the researchers found six new compounds, three of which showed the strongest activity in inhibiting a-glucosidase enzymes. This enzyme plays an important role in breaking down carbohydrates during the digestive process, so it affects how quickly sugar enters the bloodstream.

The three main compounds are named caffaldehydes A, B, and C. In laboratory tests, all three were able to inhibit the work of a-glucosidase with IC50 values between 17.50 to 45.07 micrograms.

The figure is considered stronger than acarbose, a type 2 diabetes drug used as a comparator in the study.

"The smaller the IC value?", the stronger the ability of the compound to inhibit the enzyme," the research report wrote, quoted from Science Daily, Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

According to Minghua Qiu, this finding opens up opportunities for the development of coffee as a functional food, that is, food and beverages that not only provide basic nutrition, but also support the health of the body.

"This study shows that coffee contains bioactive molecules that have the potential to help control blood sugar," said Minghua.

However, it was also emphasized that this study is still in its early stages and cannot be directly applied to humans. The researchers emphasized that these findings do not mean that coffee can replace diabetes drugs, and further research on animals and humans is needed to ensure its safety and effectiveness.

"The next step is to test whether this compound is safe and effective in the human body," concluded the research report.