Coffee has long been touted for its ability to get us up and moving in the morning, but along with it comes a host of other benefits such as:

•         Coffee drinkers are less likely to have dementia and Parkinson’s disease

•         Coffee drinkers have fewer cases of strokes and heart rhythm disorders

•         Coffee may inhibit the growth of certain cancers

A new study funded from the National natural Science Foundation of China, the National Basic Research Program of China and the Chinese Ministry of Education is now also reaffirming what has already been suspected: coffee can also reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Our body obtains energy by creating glucose from the foods that we eat, such as pasta, milk, and fruit.  In order to use that glucose, our body needs to create the hormone insulin, which controls the level of glucose (sugar) in our blood.  Type 2 diabetes is a disease where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, so the level of glucose continues to build up in our blood instead of being used as an energy source.  Over an extended period of time, Type 2 diabetes can cause a number of health problems, such as heart disease, blindness, nerve damage and kidney problems.

Type 2 diabetes is a serious worldwide issue, affecting up to 95% of all diabetes cases across the globe.  Researchers Ling Zheng, Jun Huang and their colleagues conducted a study that revealed that anyone who drinks four or more cups of coffee each day have a significantly decreased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.  After four cups a day you have a 50% reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and every cup thereafter reduces the risk by approximately 7%.

The credit for this reduced risk to two compounds that can be found in coffee which significantly inhibit the “misfolding” of a substance called human islet amyloid polypeptide, or hIAPP.  hIAPP is widely believed to be the reason behind one developing Type 2 diabetes, and the compounds in coffee have a means of blocking that.

This isn’t the only study that has been conducted that shows that coffee can help inhibit the development of Type 2 diabetes.  Professor Frank Hu, MD. MPH. PhD, at the Harvard School of Public Health has said that that data on coffee helping block Type 2 diabetes is “pretty solid” after reviewing over 15 published studies on the matter.  He has even suggested that decaf coffee may offer the exact same benefits as regular coffee, so for anyone concerned about caffeine and the affects it may have on their body, it looks as if they can still drink their decaf and enjoy the health benefits that come with regular coffee.

Coffee contains antioxidants, which Hu has credited to helping stave off any cellular damage, but he also says that the magnesium and chromium in the coffee help the body use insulin, which is why coffee is able to reduce one’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.