November 2002 - Dutch researchers announced that people that consume large amounts of coffee may actually reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Scientists at Vrije University in Amsterdam said that some of the components in coffee may help the body metabolize sugar, which may reduce the risk of diabetes.
Rob Van Dam, from Vrije University's Department of Nutrition and Health, does not really know what it is in the coffee that works against diabetes, but when his team compared coffee consumption with the risk of type 2 diabetes, they found that the more coffee people drank, the lower their risk was. Those that drank seven or more cups of coffee per day were 50% less likely to develop diabetes, while fewer cups a day had less of an impact.
Mr. Van Dam also stressed that more studies are needed to confirm the findings and that people should not run out and start drinking large amounts of coffee. While it's not bad for most people to drink moderate amounts of coffee and coffee-based drinks, studies have shown that high coffee consumption can raise cholesterol levels and increase osteoporosis in some people.
Regardless of the form it comes in, coffee contains minerals and micronutrients that can be beneficial to our health. Van Dam added that scientists may be able to identify the active components in coffee that were beneficial, and then they may be able to develop a type of coffee, or some other product, that could offer the same benefits without any of the negative consequences that consuming large quantities of coffee may bring.
Source: The Lancet
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