For those of us who need our morning kick-start from coffee, or a little afternoon pick-me-up from tea, it may be pleasantly pleasing to hear that consuming coffee and tea may decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. According to a group of Australian researchers, these liquid refreshments can have a positive impact on blood sugar regulation, whether or not they include caffeine.
According to Rachel Huxley, lead author of the new study, and an associate professor and director of the renal and metabolic division at The George Institute for International Health at the University of Sydney in Australia, “There is good evidence that consumption of coffee, including decaffeinated coffee, and tea is independently associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.” In fact, results of the analysis found that the more coffee you drink, the more you cut the risk of diabetes. Each cup of coffee consumed was linked to a 7 percent reduction in the diabetes risk. The full results of the analysis were recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Other recent studies have revealed health benefits related to coffee consumption including the prevention of liver disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke, while recent findings reported at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research that indicate that drinking coffee reduces the risk of dying from prostate cancer. Although caffeine was at first believed to be the source of the mounting list of health benefits associated with coffee consumption, studies involving decaffeinated coffee consumption suggest that the health benefits are similar. Regarding these findings, Huxley explained, “Other components of these beverages, such as magnesium, lignans and chlorogenic acids, may also have a role.” She also noted that these components seem to have a beneficial effect on blood sugar regulation and insulin secretion, although further research is necessary to confirm this.
For their study, Huxley and her colleagues set out to analyze the link between coffee, decaffeinated coffee and tea, and the decrease in diabetes risk. The research team examined a total of 18 prior studies involving a total of 457,922 people. Among the studies included in their analysis were six involving consumption of decaffeinated coffee consumption, and seven involving the consumption of tea.
The analysis revealed that people who consume three to four cups of coffee daily were 25 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who consumed two or less cups of coffer per day. In addition, for each daily cup of coffee consumed, the diabetes risk dropped by nearly 7 percent.
For decaffeinated coffee, drinking three to four cups daily decreased the diabetes risk by about 33 percent compared to non-coffee drinkers, while for tea drinkers, having three to four cups each day lowered their diabetes risk by about 20 percent in comparison to non-tea drinkers. Due to the lack of applicable data among the studies examined by the researchers, a per cup risk reduction for tea and decaffeinated coffee consumption was not established.
According to the study report, an estimated 380 million people worldwide will have type 2 diabetes by 2025, and will generate “enormous economic, health, and society costs.” This makes finding preventive measures against diabetes a priority.
Regarding the study outcomes, Huxley stated, “This study adds to the body of evidence that our diet and lifestyle are important determinants of subsequent diabetes risk. Although it is too early to advocate for increased consumption of tea and coffee as a way of preventing diabetes, if these findings are confirmed by clinical trials, then the identification of the protective components in these beverages would open up new therapeutic pathways for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes.”
by – Drucilla Dyess/healthnews.com
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