COFFEE-LOVERS have been given another pick-me-up after an Australian study showed that people drinking multiple cups a day had nearly half the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
People drinking three to four cups of coffee a day had a 25 per cent reduced risk of the metabolic disorder, while drinking more than six cups a day was linked to a 40 per cent risk reduction.
Although coffee is often perceived as being unhealthy in excess, researchers from Sydney's George Institute for International Health found each extra cup of coffee per day was linked to a 7 per cent reduction in the risk of developing diabetes.
The findings are based on a review of 18 previous studies, together involving 450,000 people. The authors say they cannot tell what ingredient in coffee is causing the effect.
Whatever the mystery ingredient is, it cannot be caffeine, as decaffeinated coffee and tea were also found to be protective, although to a lesser extent.
Writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine yesterday, they said the implications would be "substantial" if it were shown that coffee was the causal factor.
"The identification of the active compounds of these beverages would open up new the****utic pathways for the primary prevention of (diabetes)," they wrote. "It could also be envisaged that we will advise our patients most at risk for diabetes to increase their consumption of tea and coffee in addition to increasing their levels of physical activity and weight loss."
12-15-2009, 03:57 PM
People drinking several cups of coffee a day reduce risk of type 2 diabetes
