foodconsumer.org: That Morning Cup o’Joe may lower your diabetes risk

That Morning Cup o’Joe may lower your diabetes risk
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admin on 12/20/2009 20:13:00
 
By Rachel Stockton
Now there is another reason to reach for that morning cuppa before heading out
the door to face the day.   A new study suggests that both coffee and tea may
help reduce diabetes risk.
Not Just the Caffeine
The Australian research showed that consuming three to four cups of coffee or
tea per day can reduce diabetes risk by 25%.
And here’s the real clincher:  the reduced risk of diabetes may have little to
do with the caffeine in both coffee and tea; study results were similar
regardless of whether or not participants drank decaf.
The team, led by Dr. Rachel Huxley, discovered that each cup of coffee a person
drinks may reduce risk of metabolic syndrome by 7%.
The researchers wrote that a spectrum of chemicals found in coffee and tea,
including magnesium, lignans, and chlorogenic acids, likely assist in reducing
risk of diabetes.  The details of the research are being published in the
journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
Diabetes, which can often manifest in those who are obese, costs millions of
dollars each year in health care costs; the potential impact of this study could
be quite dramatic, should follow up studies yield similar results.
People with type 2 diabetes experience symptoms including frequent urination,
unusual thirst, extreme hunger, usual weight loss, extreme fatigue and
irritability, frequent infections, blurred vision, cuts/bruises that are slow to
health, tingling or numbness in the hands and feet.
An estimated 20 million Americans are believed to live with type 2 diabetes and
the disease affects 170 million people worldwide.
More Coffee and Tea Health Benefits
For many, a cup of coffee helps regulate mood by causing the brain to release
dopamine.
Additionally, some physicians have found that caffeine helps reduce symptoms of
attention deficit disorder by helping mental focus.
Then there are the anti-oxidants found in green tea; they have been touted as
great cancer fighters and may even help some of us lose weight.