Green Tea and Coffee Might Be the Best Beverages For Diabetics

Key points: 

• Drinking coffee or tea is linked to a 63% lower risk of death from all causes in people with type 2 diabetes.
• Thanks to the compounds found in green tea and coffee: phenols, antioxidants, and caffeine.

Combining two or more daily coffee cups, plus four or more cups of green tea, is linked to a 63% lower risk of death from all causes in people with type 2 diabetes. These are the findings from the most extensive study so far that explored the effect of green tea and coffee on people with this health condition.

Researchers followed 4923 Japanese older adults (the average age was 66) with type 2 diabetes for 5 years. The authors considered lifestyle factors like smoking, level of physical activity, sleep quality, and alcohol consumption to get the most accurate results. Height, weight, and blood pressure were also measured.

With each cup of green tea and coffee participants drank daily, the risk of all-cause mortality decreased proportionally, compared with those who drank neither beverage. People who had 2 cups of coffee and 4 cups of green tea gained the most health benefits.

This fantastic effect might be due to antioxidants, caffeine, and anti-inflammatory compounds called phenols, which both coffee and green tea contain. Yet, it is unclear if the mix of these two beverages that works so well for diabetics or some other factors play a role.

Also, green tea in Japan may have different nutritional qualities than green tea in other countries and regions. All that said, scientists intend to continue researching this fascinating topic.

Source:

Drinking green tea and coffee daily linked to lower death risk in people with diabetes