At least some of coffee’s health benefits come from its compounds acting on a receptor protein in the human body known for its role in stress response and ageing, a new study reveals.
Decades of research suggest that coffee consumption is associated with a longer life and lower risk of chronic disease.
Population studies indicate a lower risk of several age-related diseases, including metabolic disease, some cancers, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and heart diseases among coffee drinkers.
Major chemicals in coffee, including polyphenols and flavonoids, have been proven to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, which can protect cells from damage and ageing.
But exactly how these coffee chemicals bring about their benefits has remained unclear.
Now, a new study reveals that coffee may work, in part, by acting on a receptor protein in the body known as NR4A1, increasingly recognised for its role in ageing, stress response, and heart disease.
“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,” explained Stephen Safe, an author of the study published in the journal Nutrients.
The NR4A1 protein is known to regulate gene activity in response to stress and damage in the body.
It is involved in a wide range of biological processes, including inflammation, metabolism and tissue repair – all of which are closely tied to age-related diseases like cancer, cognitive decline, and metabolic disorders.
“If you damage almost any tissue, NR4A1 responds to bring that damage down. If you take that receptor away, the damage is worse,” Dr Safe said.
Scientists found that multiple chemical compounds in coffee, including caffeic acid, bind to the NR4A1 receptor protein and influence its activity.
Lab studies have shown that these compounds can reduce cellular damage and slow cancer cell growth. But when NR4A1 was removed from cells, these protective effects disappeared.
“What we’re saying is that at least part of coffee’s health benefits may come through binding and activating this receptor,” Dr Safe said.
“We hypothesise that some of the beneficial health effects of coffee may be attributed, in part, to the activity of coffee components such as NR4A1,” they wrote.
However, coffee’s effects are likely not limited to a single pathway, scientists say.
“There are many receptors and many mechanisms involved. What we’re showing is that this could be one of the important pathways,” Dr Safe said.
“We’ve made the connection, but we need to better understand how important that connection is,” he added.
In future studies, scientists hope to target the receptor with synthetic compounds more effectively.
