Could Coffee Lower Diabetes Risk After Pregnancy?

(CTN News) – The risk of type 2 diabetes may be lowered by drinking coffee, according to recently published research.

Women who have gestational diabetes may have a 10 times higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women without gestational diabetes, according to researchers at the National University of Singapore’s Global Centre for Asian Women’s Health (GLOW).

The overall findings suggest that caffeinated coffee, when consumed properly [2 to 5 cups per day, without sugar and whole-fat/high-fat dairy], can be incorporated into a relatively healthy lifestyle for certain populations, according to a university press release from GloW researcher Cuilin Zhang.

Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee was found to be healthier than artificially and sugar-sweetened drinks in past studies.

Researchers studied more than 4,500 women with a history of gestational diabetes over 25 years, examining long-term coffee consumption and risk. There were a majority of white participants in the study.

The risk of type 2 diabetes was 53% lower in women who consumed 4 or more cups of coffee per day after pregnancy. This was compared to women who did not drink coffee. Two to three cups lowered the risk by 17%, and one cup or less lowered it by 10%, the study found.

There were no similar benefits associated with decaf. The researchers noted, however, that relatively few women drank it, so perhaps that explains the lack of a link.

Researchers also found that replacing sweetened beverages with caffeinated coffee reduced type 2 diabetes risk by 10% for artificially sweetened beverages and 17% for sugar-sweetened beverages.

According to researchers, coffee contains bioactive components such as polyphenols, which are naturally occurring plant micronutrients. Plants and certain foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, oils and whole grains, contain small amounts of these compounds.

There has been consistent evidence that coffee has beneficial effects across diverse populations, including Asians, Zhang said. He added that brewing methods, drinking frequency, and other condiments contained in coffee may vary by person.

There is a need for more research to examine how coffee consumption impacts health outcomes, according to her.

It has been noted that excessive amounts of coffee are problematic, particularly for certain groups. According to experts, there is scant information on coffee’s effect on pregnancy, fetuses, or children.

Although coffee presents as a potentially healthier alternative to sweetened beverages, the health benefits vary and much depends on the type and quantity of condiments that you add to your coffee, such as sugar and milk,” said first author Jiaxi Yang, a postdoctoral research fellow at GloW.

What is the latest breakthrough in diabetes?

Intermittent Fasting May Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, According to Study. Dec. 14, 2022 — After an intermittent fasting diet intervention, patients achieved complete diabetes remission, defined as an HbA1c (average blood sugar) level of less than 6.5% at least one year after stopping.

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