The results, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, show that drinking more coffee may reduce the risk of developing type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes. Comparing coffee drinkers with those who avoid java, the study showed that women who consumed more than six 8-oz. cups of caffeinated coffee per day reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by nearly 30%. The results were even more pronounced in men, whose risk dropped by about 50%. Those drinking decaf enjoyed some risk reduction but not the same—a 25% drop for men and 15% for women.
Researchers now hope to investigate whether the effects really are linked to coffee or if it is due to something about the coffee drinkers.