Drinking coffee may reduce diabetes risk in some women

According to experts, habitual coffee consumption can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes.

Previous research has looked at the links between gestational diabetes and the risk of type 2 diabetes and, separately, has shown that moderate coffee consumption can reduce mortality risk. To better understand how coffee consumption might affect the risk of type 2 diabetes, JIaxis Who, a postdoctoral researcher at the National University of Singapore and his colleagues conducted the prospective study and published their findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The researchers wrote that “overall, epidemiological studies in diverse populations have consistently reported benefits of coffee, including caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, in reducing” the risk of type 2 diabetes.

“People with a history of GDM have an exceptionally higher risk of T2D than the general population. Although previous studies have examined coffee consumption before or during pregnancy with risk of GDM or coffee consumption with risk of T2DM in the general population, we are not aware of any studies examining coffee consumption post pregnancy. GD with risk of long-term T2DM in these high-risk individuals. risk,” they wrote.

For the study, Yang and her colleagues followed 4,522 women, most of whom were white, with a history of gestational diabetes between 1991 and 2017, updating demographic and lifestyle factors such as disease outcomes. and feeding every 2 to 4 years. Participants reported their coffee consumption using validated food frequency questionnaires. Additionally, the researchers collected fasting blood samples from a subset of patients without diabetes from 2012 to 2014 in order to be able to measure biomarkers of glucose metabolism (insulin, HbA1c, C-peptide; n=518).

During the median follow-up period of 23.9 years, 979 people developed type 2 diabetes. Yang and colleagues reported that drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee each day instead of a serving of an artificially sweetened drink was associated with 9% (relative risk [RR] = 0.91, 95% CI, 0.84-0.99) lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Replacing a sugary drink conferred more benefit, with a 17% lower risk (RR = 0.83, 95% CI, 0.75-0.93).

The adjusted RR for less than one, two to three and four or more cups per day versus zero cups per day was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.78-1.06), 0.83 ( 95% CI, 0.69-1.01) and 0.46 (95% CI, 0.28-0.76), respectively.

Additionally, the researchers noted that higher consumption of caffeinated coffee was linked to lower levels of fasting insulin and C-peptide (all P-trend < .05). Decaffeinated coffee, on the other hand, was not significantly associated with type 2 diabetes, "but was inversely associated with C-peptide concentrations (P trend = 0.003).

“This current study presents complementary findings on the inverse associations of coffee, particularly caffeinated coffee, with the progression of T2DM in high-risk individuals with a history of GD,” Yang and colleagues wrote. “However, our observation of null results for decaffeinated coffee was in contrast to literature evidence, possibly due to low overall consumption levels in this cohort.”

The researchers concluded that “among predominantly Caucasian women” who have a history of gestational diabetes, increased consumption of caffeinated coffee was linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes “and a more metabolic profile. favorable”.

“Given epidemiological evidence on the adverse effects of added sugar and moderately protective associations between low-fat dairy consumption and risk of T2D, coffee, when consumed correctly at moderate levels (three to five cups/d), may be considered a healthier beverage option over other less healthy beverages in people with a history of DG,” they wrote. “Coffee could be promoted as an alternative to d ‘other less healthy beverages and be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle to prevent the progression of T2D in people with a history of GDM.’