Coffee and Caffeine Ameliorate Hypoglycemia, Fatty Liver,

¶ … Coffee and Caffeine Ameliorate Hypoglycemia, Fatty Liver, and Inflammatory Adipocytokine Expression in Spontaneously Diabetic KK-Ay Mice," authors Yamachui and colleagues (2010) the researchers investigated the relationship between certain chemicals and the physical health of living organisms. The investigators hypothesized that caffeine would prove to aid in the lowering of blood sugar in mice who have genetic markers which would give them diabetes. Hyperglycemia, an increase in blood sugar, is found in diabetics and can lead to serious complications from the disease. Caffeine may be able to hinder hyperglycemia. It is hoped that by being able to identify a definite connection, the information could then be passed to human beings.

A control group is one where nothing is being tested; the organisms are left in their natural, unaltered state. Nothing is different between the animals and their natural state so that the group experimented on can be compared with them to see how they are different from one another. The control group consisted of the eleven lab mice that were only given water rather than coffee. These mice comprise the control group because water does not have coffee or other chemicals which might cause the amelioration of related diseases or symptoms in diabetic organisms.

Ten laboratory mice were given diluted black coffee in a ratio of one part coffee to one part water. This is the treatment group because they are the ones who were subjected to the variable within the course of the experiment. Their results, in comparison with the control group, allow the scientists to understand the effects of caffeine on the mice in question.

The researchers did follow the scientific method with regard to this experiment. First and foremost, they ensured that the only thing different between the two groups was whether or not they had diluted coffee. Their diets were the same and their living conditions were the same. Ensuring this means that the only thing being tested is the hypothesis and that the results of the experiment or valid. They performed their test using observation which is another part of the scientific method. The researchers wrote down the results of their experiment and compared them before analyzing the findings of the experiment. The intention was to prove a link between caffeine and hyperglycemia and this is what was done in the experiment by the researchers involved. What's more, the experiment could be repeated by others and the same results found, showing this was a successful scientific experiment.