You may need your daily cup of java as a pick-me-up, but it may also be good for your health: There's evidence that long-time coffee drinkers have a lower risk for type 2 diabetes than those who don't drink coffee. It's not clear why coffee seems to protect against diabetes, but it's possible that the beverage may help to improve your body's response to the hormone insulin, which helps to keep your blood sugar lower.
Basics
Your pancreas produces insulin, which your body uses to move the sugar in your bloodstream into the cells where it's needed. However, some people develop what's called insulin resistance, in which their pancreas continues to produce insulin, but their cells can't use it properly. When you have insulin resistance, your blood sugar levels can rise to abnormal levels. In addition, the condition often serves as a precursor to type 2 diabetes, and it also raises your risk of heart disease.
Theory
Medical research shows that coffee consumption protects against type 2 diabetes, regardless of whether you're drinking caffeinated or decaffeinated. For example, a study published in December 2009 in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" looked at more than 450,000 coffee and tea drinkers, and found high intakes of regular coffee, decaf and tea all are associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Speculation
Although caffeine seems to raise your blood sugar levels, which wouldn't be protective against diabetes, it's possible that some of the compounds in coffee could lead to improved insulin sensitivity, which could help you ward off diabetes. For example, coffee contains a compound called chlorogenic acid, which serves as an antioxidant and may help boost insulin sensitivity. In addition, the magnesium in a cup of coffee can help with insulin sensitivity.
Considerations
It's also possible that an effect of coffee consumption that doesn't involve insulin or insulin resistance might help protect people from type 2 diabetes. Researchers at UCLA completed a study in January 2011 indicating that coffee may increase your levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, a protein. People with higher levels of this protein have lower risks of type 2 diabetes, the researchers said.
References
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee and Tea Consumption In Relation To Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; R. Huxley; Dec. 14, 2009
- Harvard School of Public Health; Long-Term Coffee Consumption Linked to Reduced Risk for Type 2 Diabetes; Jan. 5, 2004
- UCLA; Why Coffee Protects Against Diabetes; Mark Wheeler; Jan. 12, 2011
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