Coffee Linked to Reducing The Onset Of Diabetes

Coffee Linked to Reducing The Onset Of Diabetes

The effects of coffee on health have been debated for decades but recent studies have shown health benefits for diabetics.

Harvard University researchers found that heavy coffee drinkers may be half as likely to get diabetes as light drinkers or nondrinkers.

According to a coffee health study published in the February 2006 issue of the Harvard Health Letter, coffee may contain chemicals that lower blood sugar. Drinking coffee might also increase the resting metabolism rate, which could help keep diabetes at bay.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital published similar findings in a January 2004 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

In that study, researchers also found men who drank more than six cups of caffeinated coffee daily reduced their risk for type 2 diabetes by more than 50 percent compared to men who didn't drink coffee. Women who drank six or more cups per day reduced the risk nearly 30 percent. Decaffeinated coffee was also beneficial, but its effects were weaker.

Researchers from University of California San Diego found a similar link between coffee and diabetes. Over an eight-year span, investigators found that former and current coffee drinkers were about 60 percent less likely to have developed type 2 diabetes.

While studies are finding positive benefits, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters doesn't recommend drinking coffee as a tonic, The company said coffee drinkers should enjoy the beverage in moderation for the taste and how coffee makes you feel. If you have a concern about coffee, the company recommends talk to a physician. The effects of coffee on health have been debated for decades but recent studies have shown health benefits for diabetics.