Coffee Cuts Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Development

Four cups of coffee a day can stave off the risk of developing diabetes, claims a new study.

Coffee, often termed as the caffeine monster, whose consumption has always been criticised for stained teeth, increased risk of cancer and even voice disorders has been found to prevent type 2 diabetes. Researchers from the University of Sydney have claimed that moderate consumption of coffee can debar a person’s chances of developing diabetes.

[Read: Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes]

The Australian authors have examined over 500,000 volunteers with different cases of diabetes to draw the link between coffee consumption and type 2 diabetes.   People with regular coffee consumption were found to have significantly lower chances of diabetes. Moreover, it was noticed that with every cup of coffee, the risk reduces. If a person, on an average, consumes two cups of coffee in a day, it reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 14 percent. People who  are consuming five cups per day  are at 35 per cent lower chances of type 2 diabetes. Another important factor of the study was that people who drink decaffeinated coffee  are also less likely to develop diabetes later in life.

How Coffee Cuts Diabetes Risk

Earlier  it was believed that the coffee reduces the diabetes risk because it improves insulin  and glucose tolerance by accelerating body’s metabolism. But recently, the researchers from the United States have figured out a possible mechanism due to which coffee works in diabetes prevention. The researchers found that people, who regularly  drink four cups of coffee, have higher levels of SHBG than those who  are not regular coffee-drinkers or non-coffee drinkers. SHBG is a protein that regulates the functioning of the estrogens and testosterone (sex hormones present in the body) that are considered to  be an integral part in the development of type 2 diabetes.

[Read: Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes]

The Australian researchers also cautioned people from gulping down just any brand of coffee to reduce the risk of diabetes.  It is because some coffee brands are found to contain pesticides. So, in order to reduce the risk of food poising and other health risks such as cancer caused due to pesticides,  it is advisable to buy organic-certified coffee brands.  

 Another important consideration  is that  the overconsumption of coffee may lead to various side-effects such as hypertension, irregular heartbeats, nausea, ulcers, heartburn and sleeping difficulties to name a few. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand  what the researchers mean by ‘moderate consumption’.

Read more articles on Type 2 Diabetes.