Different coffee consumption patterns affect HbA1c via propionic acid-producing gut microbiota

Since I'm not worrying about HbA1c levels yet I don't have to figure out the definition of filtered on my 12 cup pot of coffee daily!

Different coffee consumption patterns affect HbA1c via propionic acid-producing gut microbiota

• Zhaoming Cao,
• Yu An,
• Yage Du,
• Guangyi Xu,
• Jingya Wang &
• Yanhui Lu 

npj Science of Food , Article number:  (2025) Cite this article

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Abstract

This study investigates the causal relationship between coffee consumption patterns, propionic acid-producing gut microbiota, and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels using Mendelian randomisation (MR). Genome-wide association study datasets from the UK Biobank and MiBioGen consortium were analysed, identifying a significant mediating pathway: unsweetened filter coffee consumption promotes Veillonella abundance, which in turn reduces HbA1c levels. The inverse variance weighted method served as the primary analytical approach, supported by sensitivity analyses to ensure robustness. These findings highlight the potential of unsweetened filter coffee as a dietary intervention to improve glycaemic control by modulating gut microbiota. This research provides novel insights into the coffee-intestinal microbiota-metabolism axis and offers practical guidance for diabetes management, emphasising the importance of coffee preparation methods and dietary habits in harnessing its therapeutic potential.