Green tea and coffee linked to lower death risk in people with diabetes

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In a study from Kyushu University, scientists found that drinking plenty of both green tea and coffee is linked to a lower risk of dying from any cause among people with type 2 diabetes.

They found drinking 4 or more daily cups of green tea plus 2 or more of coffee was associated with a 63% lower risk of death over a period of around 5 years.

People with type 2 diabetes are more prone to circulatory diseases, dementia, cancer, and bone fractures.

And despite an increasing number of effective drugs, lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and diet, remain a cornerstone of treatment.

Previously research suggested that regularly drinking green tea and coffee may be beneficial for health because of the various bioactive compounds these beverages contain.

In the current study, researchers tracked the health of 4923 Japanese people (2790 men, 2133 women) with type 2 diabetes (average age 66) for an average of just over 5 years.

During the monitoring period, 309 people (218 men, 91 women) died. The main causes of death were cancer (114) and cardiovascular disease (76).

The team found that compared with those who drank neither beverage, those who drank one or both had lower odds of dying from any cause, with the lowest odds linked to drinking higher quantities of both green tea and coffee.

Drinking up to 1 cup of green tea every day was linked to 15% lower odds of death; while drinking 2-3 cups was linked to 27% lower odds. Getting through 4 or more daily cups was linked to 40% lower odds.

Among coffee drinkers, up to 1 daily cup was linked to 12% lower odds; while 1 cup a day was linked to 19% lower odds. And 2 or more cups were linked to 41% lower odds.

The risk of death was even lower for those who drank both green tea and coffee every day:

51% lower for 2-3 cups of green tea plus 2 or more of coffee; 58% lower for 4 or more cups of green tea plus 1 cup of coffee every day; and 63% lower for a combination of 4 or more cups of green tea and 2 or more cups of coffee every day.

The biology behind these observations isn’t fully understood. Green tea contains several antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, including phenols and theanine, as well as caffeine.

Coffee also contains numerous bioactive components, including phenols. As well as its potentially harmful effects on the circulatory system, caffeine is thought to alter insulin production and sensitivity.

If you care about diabetes, please read studies about a major breakthrough in diabetes treatment, and this drug for inflammation may increase your diabetes risk within days.

For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about a better way to treat obesity and diabetes, and results showing cruciferous vegetables may help reverse kidney damage in diabetes.

The study was conducted by Yuji Komorita et al and published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.

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