Drinking coffee may cut diabetes risk

Drinking about three to four cups of coffee everyday can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes, scientists say.

A report from the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) highlights the potential role of coffee consumption on the reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and the possible mechanisms involved.

Eminent experts in diabetes gathered at a symposium hosted by ISIC in Berlin, Germany, to discuss the latest research on coffee consumption and type 2 diabetes.

Mattias Carlstrom from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden reviewed the latest scientific research on the association between coffee consumption and type 2 diabetes risk, including his own meta-analysis of the data which looked at 30 prospective studies, with a total of 1,185,210 participants.

Professor Kjeld Hermansen from Aarhus University in Denmark explored the potential mechanistic perspectives behind the inverse association between coffee consumption and type 2 diabetes, presenting a summary of the research that has been undertaken in this area.

The research suggests that a number of factors may be involved including an antioxidant effect, an anti-inflammatory effect, thermogenic effects or the modulation of microbiome diversity.

The research suggested that drinking 3-4 cups of coffee per day is associated with an approximate 25 per cent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee are associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers said.