Just what the world needs: an ‘excuse’ to drink more coffee!

A tip from our friends on Twitter had us reading about a new study describing the benefits of drinking seven or more cups of coffee of day – that would be cutting the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Finnish researchers performed the study on behalf of Finland’s National Public Health Institute, and lead author Gang Hu described in the International Journal of Obesity that the risk was reduced in people regardless of levels of physical activity, BMI, or alcohol consumption in both men and women.

Coffee, the miracle drug?

Hardly so, especially when you remember the debate on the effects of caffeine on blood glucose levels (and realize that US average consumption is a mere three and a half cups a day). The study reports that, after included adjustments for ‘possible confounders’ including smoking, BMI, age, and various substance intakes, drinking between three and six cups of coffee was associated with a reduction of risk by 23 percent in men and 29 percent in women. Seven or more cups a day upped these numbers to 34 percent in men and 48 percent in women. Participants in the study were 35-75 with no history of coronary heart disease, stroke, or diabetes at the beginning and used self-reporting methods on food and beverage consumption and for other behaviors.

We’re interested to see further studies on what the implications of coffee can do for health and modern medicine – and to find out why women had a greater reduction in risk. Perhaps coffee’s ingredients affect levels of insulin sensitivity? In any case, the new excuse of drinking large amounts of coffee to decrease the risk for diabetes definitely caught our eye.

- by Dana Lewis

Comments

[Sophie (diet girl)]

Great information, I've bookmarked your post. You've provide awesome information here. Cheers : )

[Denise]

Well, I don't know what to think about this but coffee spikes me badly. I've tried many, many brands over the last 9 years and finally found a couple that don't impact my BG too much but still do raise it a little. I find it hard to believe that consumption of coffee reduces risk but hey, what do I know? As always, let your meter be your guide. :)