Coffee is not usually perceived as having medicinal properties in the treatment of chronic diseases, but a new study links coffee with lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes amongst women. The study claims that consuming moderate amounts of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee may decrease type 2 risk amongst middle-aged and younger females.
The study was carried out by the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Researchers compared the consumption of different types of coffee in relation to development of type 2 diabetes. The study group comprised just under 90,000 American women who were followed as part of the Nurses Health Survey II.
The study found that, surprisingly, higher consumption of both de-caff and caffeinated coffee was actually associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. By drinking one cup of coffee per day, the reduction in risk was around 13 per cent. However, with four or more cups the reduction in risk grew as high as 46 per cent.
The team conclude that some components of coffee may help glucose metabolism. This opens up avenues for further exploration.
The results of the study will be published in the respected journal, Diabetes Care.

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