Does coffee induce autophagy? | Guido Kroemer
Get the full length version of this episode as a podcast.
This episode will make a great companion for a long drive.
The Omega-3 Supplementation Guide
A blueprint for choosing the right fish oil supplement — filled with specific recommendations, guidelines for interpreting testing data, and dosage protocols.
Coffee consumption is associated with protection from several chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disease. Some of the beneficial effects of coffee may stem from its ability to induce autophagy. In a study in which fasting mice were provided either caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee in drinking water, autophagy was observed in the liver, muscle, and heart just four hours after consumption. In this clip, Dr. Guido Kroemer discusses the autophagy-inducing qualities of coffee.
- Dr. Kroemer: Yes, we published a study in mice giving them a non-toxic dose of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee with a drinking water continuously. And we could show that this was magnificently inducing autophagy. Like caffeine independent fasting.
- Rhonda: Right, totally independent caffeine, so just the polyphenols. And this was like, I think, I read your study, it was like after four hours or something in the mice. So, in humans, potentially, maybe the fasting plus the coffee...
- Dr. Kroemer: Well, coffee abuse has been linked to major health-promoting effects. So, most cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases are actually reduced in heavy coffee drinkers as an independent link between lifestyle and pathology. So, of course, it's an association that obviously can be criticized because it's just a study in which you find a statistical correlation. It would be much more interesting to do a randomized clinical trial on coffee intake.
- Rhonda: More interesting and more expensive, yeah.
- Dr. Kroemer: Yeah. Absolutely.
An intracellular degradation system involved in the disassembly and recycling of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components. Autophagy participates in cell death, a process known as autophagic dell death. Prolonged fasting is a robust initiator of autophagy and may help protect against cancer and even aging by reducing the burden of abnormal cells.
The relationship between autophagy and cancer is complex, however. Autophagy may prevent the survival of pre-malignant cells, but can also be hijacked as a malignant adaptation by cancer, providing a useful means to scavenge resources needed for further growth.
A large class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels, including stroke, hypertension, thrombosis, heart failure, atherosclerosis, and more. Cardiovascular disease is often caused by lifestyle factors. As such, up to 90 percent of cardiovascular disease may be preventable.[1]
- ^ McGill, Henry C.; McMahan, C. Alex; Gidding, Samuel S (2008). Preventing Heart Disease In The 21St Century Circulation 117, 9.
A broad range of disorders caused by the progressive death of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Common neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Although treatments are available for some neurodegenerative diseases, there are currently no cures.
A class of chemical compounds produced in plants in response to stressors. Polyphenols contribute to the bitterness, astringency, color, flavor, and fragrance of many fruits and vegetables. They often serve as deterrents to insect or herbivore consumption. When consumed in the human diet, polyphenols exert many health benefits and may offer protection against development of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. Dietary sources of polyphenols include grapes, apples, pears, cherries, and berries, which provide as much as 200 to 300 mg polyphenols per 100 grams fresh weight.
A study in which people are randomly allocated to receive one of several clinical interventions. One of these interventions is the standard of comparison or control. The control may be a standard practice, a placebo, or no intervention at all.
Member only extras:
Learn more about the advantages of a premium membership by clicking below.
Supporting our work
If you enjoy the fruits of
, you can participate in helping us to keep improving it. Creating a premium subscription does just that! Plus, we throw in occasional member perks and, more importantly, churn out the best possible content without concerning ourselves with the wishes of any dark overlords.
Autophagy News
- Supplementation with spermidine, a compound known to enhance autophagy, improved memory performance in older individuals after three months.
- Acid Suspends the Circadian Clock in Hypoxia through Inhibition of mTOR. - PubMed - NCBI
- Rosemary Extract Inhibits mTOR
- First direct evidence found that the immune system attacks the brain in Parkinson's disease.
- Extra virgin olive oil protects learning/memory, activates autophagy, & reduces amyloid-beta plaques in the brain.
