Dr. Manal Othman, Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomy at the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences at the Arabian Gulf University (AGU) confirmed the positive effects of caffeine on the nervous system. This occurred while presenting the results of her research on an animal model of type 2 diabetes during the research forum lecture series organised by the College of Medicine for the academic year 2023-2024.
During the forum, which was attended by college faculty members, medical students, and graduate students, she emphasised the role of caffeine in reducing complications and side effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems of type 2 diabetes patients. The study highlighted the positive effects of caffeine found in drinks such as tea and coffee on the nervous system, explaining that these effects include augmenting nerve cells, enhancing memory, and improving brain functions.
The research aimed to study the effects of caffeine on the nervous system using a rat model of diabetes. Experiments were conducted in the histology laboratory in the Department of Anatomy and the Animal Care Facility at the university, which showed the role of caffeine in improving blood sugar levels and biomarkers of inflammation.
Dr. Manal Othman explained, “With regard to the central nervous system, there was an improvement in the fine structure of brain cells responsible for memory in rats, especially astrocytes and microglia. There was an improvement in the vital indicators of these cells and an improvement in general tissue shape. Moreover, in relation to the peripheral nervous system, samples of the sciatic nerve from rats were examined. It was found that caffeine led to enhancement of the tissues of the sciatic nerve, especially Schwann cells, which are of great importance for nerve functions, in addition to the cells lining the blood vessels, which also have a role in diabetic complications.”
