25 March 2023 , 10:00
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Diabetes is a very common condition, with the vast majority of those living with it in the UK having type 2.
This is where blood sugar levels are too high, often leading patients to tweak their diet, take medication and have regular check-ups. And now a study has shown that a popular hot drink could benefit millions of us at risk of the condition.
Research published in Clinical Nutrition found that drinking coffee may actually help reduce the chances of getting type 2 diabetes. The paper said this could be down to the beverage's anti-inflammatory properties.
This is because type 2 diabetes is partly considered an inflammatory disease, which is why the team - made up of academics from around the world - were keen to analyse coffee’s effect on 'inflammation biomarkers' (blood tests which detect inflammation in the body).
Data of more than 150,000 people from the UK and the Netherlands was analysed, including habitual coffee consumption and the occurrence rate of type 2 diabetes. It was found that having just one extra cup of coffee a day was enough to see a four to six per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
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Study lead Doctor Trudy Voortman, from the Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, said: “Coffee is one of the most frequently consumed beverages worldwide and its potential health effects trigger significant scientific research.
“Previous studies have linked higher coffee consumption to lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes but underlying mechanisms remained unclear.
Nurse taking a patient's blood sugar reading. (Getty Images)“Our research shows that coffee is associated with differences in the levels of inflammation biomarkers in the body, and as we know that type 2 diabetes is partly an inflammatory disease, this could be one of the mechanisms at play.
“These findings could also support future research into the effects of coffee on other inflammation-related chronic diseases.”
The study also pointed towards further possible desirable effects, such as lower insulin resistance, lower CRP (C-Reactive Protein - a sensitive marker of systemic inflammation) and lower leptin (a hormone that regulates food intake and energy homeostasis), plus higher adiponectin (a hormone that regulates glucose and lipid metabolism, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitising effects) concentrations in cohort participants.
A 'one cup per day' boost was measured against people's varying daily consumption rather than a set baseline. Daily consumption within the study cohort ranged from zero to six cups of coffee per day, with findings suggesting benefits from an extra cup per day, regardless of whether individuals fell at the lower or higher end of that range.
Data from the UK group also suggested that the manner in which coffee is prepared may impact its health benefits. Filtered or espresso coffee had the strongest beneficial association with lower type 2 diabetes risk and CRP concentrations, alongside being a non-smoker.
However, it's important to remember there are health risks associated with drinking too much coffee. The European Food Safety Authority recommends drinking no more than five cups a day.
What are the main symptoms of diabetes?
- Urinating more frequently than usual, particularly at night
- Feeling very tired
- Weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
- Itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
- Blurred vision
The two main types of diabetes
Type 1 is when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin.
Type 2 is the most common and it’s when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells fail to react to insulin. This one is considered the easier to manage of the two.
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It is not known exactly what causes type 1 diabetes, but type 2 can be caused by a number of factors such as:
- Being overweight
- Not exercising enough
- Genetics.
Top tips to help manage diabetes
Keep calm - Stress can cause blood sugar levels to rise, so relaxing is important.
Be in the know - Continuous glucose monitoring is important to manage diabetes. It can help you react more quickly to whether it is high or low.
Drink in moderation - Drinking alcohol can produce signs of low blood sugar.
Improve oral hygiene - Diabetes puts you at greater risk for gum disease as people with the condition have a lowered ability to fight infection from bacteria in the mouth.
Sweeten it yourself - Reduce sugar in your diet by adding your own sweeteners.