Should You Drink More Coffee?

A large-scale, 12-year study of Finnish men and women found that drinking lots of coffee could decrease an individual's risk for type 2 diabetes.For the study, the researchers combined surveys conducted in 1982, 1987, and 1992 among 6974 Finnish men and 7655 Finnish women between the ages of 35 and 64. The participants completed questionnaires that included questions on medical conditions, physical activity, and smoking status, as well as alcohol, coffee, and tea consumption. None of the participants had a history of stroke, coronary heart disease, or type 2 diabetes at the beginning of the study.

The results, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (March 10, 2004), showed that women who consumed 3 to 4 cups of coffee daily had a 29% reduced risk of diabetes.Women who drank at least 10 cups of coffee daily had a 79% reduced risk. Men, on the other hand, who drank 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day had a 27% lower risk, and those who drank at least 10 cups a day had a 55% reduced risk.