Fear Diabetes? Drink a cup of tea or coffee, says study
POSTED December 15, 2009 - 17:05 | POSTED BY Pankhuri Kapoor
Last edited by shalini.bahadur on December 15, 2009 - 17:58
Researchers from the George Institute for International Health at the University of Sydney claim to have found that drinking 3-4 cups of coffee (caffeinated or decaffeinated) reduced their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 25 per cent.
Similarly, people consuming 3-4 cups of tea had 20 per cent lesser risk of being diagnosed with the disease than those who didn’t take it.
“This study adds to the body of evidence that our diet and lifestyle are important determinants of subsequent diabetes risk,” says Rachel Huxley, the lead author of the present study.
Study Details
The researchers analyzed 18 previously done studies with 4,57,922 participants to arrive at the present conclusion. Out of these, six gave data on consumption of decaffeinated coffee and seven informed about the benefits of drinking tea to prevent the disease.
Based on the analysis, the researchers found that for every cup of coffee consumed, the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes decreased by seven per cent.
“It was previously believed that caffeine provided most of coffee's beneficial effects, but other components of these beverages, such as magnesium, lignans and chlorogenic acids, may also have a role,” says Rachel Huxley.
She adds, “These components appear to have a beneficial effect on blood sugar regulation and insulin secretion, but that further research is necessary.”
Tea and coffee also help fight other severe ailments
Past studies have also proposed the benefits of tea and coffee consumption in evading prostate cancer in men and lessen the risk of developing liver disease, Alzheimer's, stroke and Parkinson's disease.
“The reasons are not clear. It's probably not the caffeine, it's probably not the magnesium or other elements in the coffee or tea. It might be just antioxidants,” says Dr. Norman Lavin, an endocrinologist at Providence Tarzana Medical Center.
More research needed to validate the study findings
The researchers feel that more clinical trials are needed to validate their study findings and so it is too early to recommend the beverages to help stop diabetes.
The present study and its findings have been published in this month’s edition of the ‘Archives of Internal Medicine’.
