| New research out of the University of Minnesota | | | | "We found exactly the same protective effect of |
| School of Public Health shows that coffee may lower | | | | decaffeinated coffee," van Dam said. "People think |
| a person's risk for type 2 diabetes! | | | | that if coffee causes it, it must be the caffeine, but |
| Coffee drinkers can now drink their coffee without | | | | coffee is a very complex mixture," he added. |
| worries. Of course, decaffeinated is still a better | | | | One component of coffee that has caught van Dam's |
| choice, as the research showed that postmenopausal | | | | attention is chlorogenic acid, which seems to be able to |
| women who daily consumed more than six cups of | | | | slow the absorption of sugar by cells. Studies in rats |
| coffee had a 33 percent lower risk of developing type | | | | found that the molecule lowered blood-sugar levels, he |
| 2 diabetes than women who did not drink coffee. | | | | said. |
| "Having a healthy diet, controlling your weight, and | | | | There's another reason to hope that chlorogenic acid is |
| exercising are essential to preventing the onset of | | | | beneficial: According to van Dam, it's abundant in both |
| diabetes, but drinking coffee has the potential to further | | | | red wine and chocolate. "People think that nutritionists |
| reduce risk of diabetes," said Mark Pereira, Ph.D., lead | | | | are always recommending things they don't like, but |
| author and Associate Professor at the University of | | | | that's not true," he said. |
| Minnesota School of Public Health. "It may be | | | | Did you know there are over 20 million Americans |
| necessary to rethink the idea that drinking coffee does | | | | who have diabetes, with 6.2 million of these cases |
| more harm than good." | | | | being undiagnosed? |
| Why does coffee help reduce the risk of type 2 | | | | It should also be noted that the research found that |
| diabetes? Well, it appears from the research that | | | | higher coffee intake was associated with lower body |
| coffee contains minerals and antioxidants that aid in | | | | mass index and rates of hypertension. |
| carbohydrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity and | | | | Pereira and van Dam agreed that it's much too early |
| possibly delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. | | | | to single out any one component of coffee as |
| The report was described as "not surprising" by Rob | | | | beneficial. |
| van Dam, a research scientist at the Harvard School | | | | Of course, you still need to control your weight and do |
| of Public Health. He was part of a research team in | | | | your daily exercises, but isn't nice to know that you |
| the Netherlands who first reported the protective | | | | can actually have your coffee without guilt. |
| effect of coffee in 2002. Several other studies, | | | | So, when you go to pour your next cup of coffee, |
| including one done at the Harvard School of Public | | | | remember, it may actually good for you! |
| Health, have backed up those original findings. | | | | |