| research out of the University of Minnesota | | | | findings. |
| School of Public Health shows that coffee may | | | | "We found exactly the same protective effect of |
| lower a person's risk for type 2 diabetes! | | | | decaffeinated coffee," van Dam said. "People think |
| Coffee drinkers can now drink their coffee | | | | that if coffee causes it, it must be the caffeine, |
| without worries. Of course, decaffeinated is still a | | | | but coffee is a very complex mixture," he added. |
| better choice, as the research showed that | | | | One component of coffee that has caught van |
| postmenopausal women who daily consumed | | | | Dam's attention is chlorogenic acid, which seems |
| more than six cups of coffee had a 33 percent | | | | to be able to slow the absorption of sugar by |
| lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than | | | | cells. Studies in rats found that the molecule |
| women who did not drink coffee. | | | | lowered blood-sugar levels, he said. |
| "Having a healthy diet, controlling your weight, and | | | | There's another reason to hope that chlorogenic |
| exercising are essential to preventing the onset of | | | | acid is beneficial: According to van Dam, it's |
| diabetes, but drinking coffee has the potential to | | | | abundant in both red wine and chocolate. "People |
| further reduce risk of diabetes," said Mark Pereira, | | | | think that nutritionists are always recommending |
| Ph.D., lead author and Associate Professor at the | | | | things they don't like, but that's not true," he said. |
| University of Minnesota School of Public Health. "It | | | | Did you know there are over 20 million Americans |
| may be necessary to rethink the idea that | | | | who have diabetes, with 6.2 million of these cases |
| drinking coffee does more harm than good." | | | | being undiagnosed? |
| Why does coffee help reduce the risk of type 2 | | | | It should also be noted that the research found |
| diabetes? Well, it appears from the research that | | | | that higher coffee intake was associated with |
| coffee contains minerals and antioxidants that aid | | | | lower body mass index and rates of hypertension. |
| in carbohydrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity | | | | Pereira and van Dam agreed that it's much too |
| and possibly delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. | | | | early to single out any one component of coffee |
| The report was described as "not surprising" by | | | | as beneficial. |
| Rob van Dam, a research scientist at the Harvard | | | | Of course, you still need to control your weight |
| School of Public Health. He was part of a research | | | | and do your daily exercises, but isn't nice to know |
| team in the Netherlands who first reported the | | | | that you can actually have your coffee without |
| protective effect of coffee in 2002. Several other | | | | guilt. |
| studies, including one done at the Harvard School | | | | So, when you go to pour your next cup of |
| of Public Health, have backed up those original | | | | coffee, remember, it may actually good for you! |