November 8 2002

People who drink lots of coffee run a far lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the disorder that has reached epidemic proportions in the industrialised world, a study says.

Individuals who drink seven or more cups of coffee a day are 50 per cent less likely to develop this form of diabetes than counterparts who drink two cups or less.

The evidence comes from a database of the health and lifestyle of 17,000 Dutch men and women, assessed by the Netherlands' National Institute for Public Health and Environment.

Factors such as smoking, ratio of body fat and alcoholic consumption were taken into account, in order to make a fair comparison of health among coffee drinkers.

The authors, who report their work in next issue of the British medical weekly The Lancet, say the findings have "important public-health implications" given the spiralling costs of treating people with diabetes.

They urge caution, however, for people tempted to seize upon coffee as a miraculous shield against this health problem.

"Possible adverse effect on other health aspects should be considered in the choice to consume coffee."

Diabetes afflicts more than 17 million people in the United States and more than 150 million worldwide.

The disorder is characterised by a chronic, toxic excess of sugar in the blood caused by a lack of insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas. It can cause blindness, kidney failure and even death.

Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children and young adults, but the disorder can appear at any age.

Type 2, or "adult" diabetes, traditionally affects people over 55 and apparently develops as a consequence of obesity or weight gain, and is now being detected among children. It accounts for 90 per cent of US diabetes cases.

The researchers note that caffeine is known to reduce the body's sensitivity to insulin, a phenomenon that should in fact worsen the diabetes problem.

However, coffee also has lots of chlorogenic acid and magnesium, which they speculate more than offset the effect of caffeine.

Chlorogenic acid, a substance called a phenol which plays a big role in coffee's bouquet of flavour, has been found in lab tests to reduce absorption of glucose by the liver. Magnesium may improve sensitivity to insulin, they suggest.

The database covered 17,111 people aged 30-60. More than 4,200 drank seven or more cups of coffee per day while 2,792 were at the other end of the range, drinking two cups or less.

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2002

Answers

Magnesium may improve sensitivity to insulin, they suggest. Eat more bananas?

I'm confused. does one want to be sensitive to insulin?

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2002

Yes. It means insulin is more readily used. Type II diabetes is kinda resistance to insulin.

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2002