Coffee intake and glucose homeostasis: is there a role for body iron?

摘要

Since the original report by van Dam et al, coffee drinking has been associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a number of epide-miological studies. However, body iron has for over a century been known to cause diabetes if in overt excess, manifested as the "bronzed diabetes"-hereditary hemo-chromatosis. We hypothesize in line with Mascitelli et al2 in their letter to the editor regarding a study by Pereira et al3 that the protective effect that coffee shows toward type 2 diabetes mellitus is perhaps, at least partially, explained by the iron absorption inhibitory effect of coffee. If this were so, subjects who consume much coffee should have both lower body iron stores and better glucose homeostasis compared with people who drink less or no coffee.