3 or 4 cups of coffee a day could slash type 2 diabetes risk

A new study into the anti-diabetic benefits of drinking coffee has revealed that having three to four cups a day can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The research highlighted in a session report published by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee found that people who drink three or four cups of coffee daily are 25 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those consuming none or less than two cups a day.
A separate study published in the report also found that each additional cup of coffee consumed per day lowers the relative risk by up to 8 per cent.
The findings suggest a connection between moderate coffee consumption and reduced diabetes risk, but are unable to “infer a causal effect”.
The report goes on to highlight some of the theories behind this possible associatio, which include both the “Energy Expenditure Hypothesis” and the “Carbohydrate Metabolic Hypothesis”.
It explains that the “Energy Expenditure Hypothesis” suggests that the caffeine in coffee stimulates metabolism and increases energy expenditure, while the “Carbohydrate Metabolic Hypothesis” indicates that the components that make up coffee play a key part in influencing the body’s glucose balance.
Other theories suggest coffee contains components that may improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin though various mechanisms, such as modulating inflammatory pathways, mediating the oxidative stress of cells, or by reducing iron stores.
Founded in 1990, the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) is a non-for-profit organisation based in Evesham, Worcestershire, that focuses on the study and disclosure of science related to coffee and health.